Journey to the East
by Pandachan2010
Summary: A mysterious prince seeks Elsa's help to save his kingdom and asks her to journey back with him. But can he be trusted? There's more to his story than he lets on. (Story is Elsa/OC centered but other characters will be featured. Vague summary to keep it from giving anything away. Splashes of influence from Arabian Nights in the story & writing. Rating T to be safe.)
1. Strangers from the East

**Disclaimer: **Do not own Frozen and the characters, just the original ones.

* * *

Chapter 1: Strangers From the East

The soldier's hurried footsteps echoed through the empty halls of the castle. He abruptly stopped in front of a large white door with intricate designs of blue and purple snowflakes, the Queen's private study. After a quick knock and curt invitation to come in, the soldier swiftly entered and stood straight in attention with a salute. Then he proceeded to deliver the urgent news, "Your Majesty, I apologize for this rude interruption, but there are some men at the front gates requesting your immediate audience. They claimed to come from the Far East, traveling non-stop for several days with pressing business."

Behind the stacks of papers on her desk, the queen sighed and replied, "You may send them in. I will meet them shortly in the throne room." And with that the soldier saluted briefly before leaving the queen alone. After signing a few more papers the queen slowly rose from her chair and prepared to meet her mysterious guests. She let out a frustrated sigh, feeling disappointed that her plans to finish early and spend some quality bonding time with her sister Anna later would have to be delayed.

* * *

Four men garbed in tan travel cloaks conversed in hushed whispers among themselves after the guard ushered them to the throne room, "My lord, please calm down. I understand that the queen is our last hope, but the first impression is critical if you are to persuade her." The young man nodded in response and proceeded to take several slow deep breaths in an attempt to settle his nerves.

Then a sudden sound of open doors disrupted his meditation as a servant announced the queen's arrival, "Presenting Queen Elsa of Arendelle!" Immediately the young man kneeled down in one knee with his head bowed and the other three men followed suit behind him.

Queen Elsa regarded the four men before her. They all wore the same loose fitting beige cloak, the only aspect that unified them as a group. Glancing at the man to her furthest right, she marveled at his jet black hair pulled back and expertly wrapped into a tight small bun. She glimpsed at his sword on his hip hidden underneath his cloak. Instantly she recognized them as those adorned by samurais from a few Japanese texts in the castle's library.

Then she observed the man in the center and deduced the man to be of African descent based on his dark colored skin. Unlike the samurai to the African's left, the African man wore a simple cream colored tunic with a black rope tied around his waist under his cloak and his head cleanly shaved off.

Next she shifted her attention to the man at her furthest left. She noticed his blonde hair similar to Kristoff's hair but cut short, barely covering his head. He wore a long white askew collared shirt with repeating patterns of red swirls lining the collar and the end of the sleeves, perhaps Russian garments.

The diversity among the men astonished Elsa, but she found the younger man kneeling in front of the three men most intriguing. His shoulder length jet black hair indicated Asian ancestry like the samurai but his skin complexion tanner than the samurai and the Russian man. Underneath his cloak, he wore a metal armored vest of a Persian warrior and nothing else covered his arms. Elsa wondered if the young man felt cold at all. It was the end of December and Arendelle was experiencing its coldest winter in history.

Suddenly a voice jolted Elsa out of her thoughts as the young man upfront spoke, "Your Highness, please forgive us for our sudden intrusion but we have traveled a long way seeking your help." He paused and took a deep breath as if to gather his nerves before continuing, "We ask that you journey with us back to our homeland that has suddenly been plagued with a devastating and mystical drought."

Queen Elsa reeled by at the audacity of his abrupt request. She raised an eyebrow in amusement and asked, "Where exactly is your homeland? To whom am I addressing?"

The young man rose up and stared intensely back at Elsa, "My apologies for not introducing myself first, your Majesty. I am Prince Ali of Persia."

* * *

**This is my first Fanfiction writing posted. Let me know what you think.**


	2. The Prince and His Tale

**Author's Note: **Longer chapter this time. So it might be awhile until the next update. Also I realized that story title is a misnomer because the actually journey itself will start way later. Anyways I do not want to give too much away so you just have to read and find out.

**Disclaimer****:** Do not own Frozen and the characters, just the original ones.

* * *

Chapter 2: The Prince and His Tale

Pacing back and forth in her study, Elsa pondered on the recent event that occurred at the throne room and about the young prince from the Far East. She failed to notice the layer of ice covering the floor, feeling too preoccupied to care. The ice continually spread, slowly creeping up the walls. Her internal argument consumed her thoughts as she debated about Prince Ali's request. Then she collapsed onto a chair in frustration and crunched her eyes in concentration, attempting to sort out her thoughts by starting from the beginning.

* * *

The young prince stood at attention as he introduced himself. In that moment Elsa grazed into his eyes and to her surprise observed his eyes change colors from brown with a tint of red to blue, then green, and finally dark brown. His stubble chin, his worn-out face, and the dark circle under his eyes from days of non-stop and grueling travel failed to distract away from his inherent charm. The prince appeared well built as indicated by his muscular arms. After a long awkward silence, Prince Ali turned away in embarrassment, his cheeks reddening from the Queen's careful inspection. Elsa blushed for gawking and immediately gathered back her regal composure. She then urged the prince to elaborate on his story. Prince Ali recounted his tale and how the drought unexpectedly devastated the kingdom like a slow agonizing and pestering wound.

"Living in a country accustomed to heat, we paid no mind to the sudden spike in temperature about three months ago despite the winter season, our minds preoccupied by the recent tragedy of the king's murder. Immediately taking up the reigns to delegate the situation, my eldest brother sent my older brother and I, along with some men, to chase after my father's killer. Even though he wished to join us, he realized that he must stay now that he has a kingdom to look after, at least for the moment quell Queen Mother's hysterical tears and comfort the other women of the palace. As I hugged my eldest brother farewell, I assured him that the killer will be brought to justice."

The young prince stopped as if reflecting before continuing once again, "My brother, some men, and I mounted our horses and rode towards the direction the killer was last seen running. We ventured out into the desert and followed the murderer up the mountains. Finally we spotted him scaling up a cliff above us, but the setting sun blinded us for a moment and we lost sight of him. When the sun moved out of our sight, the man vanished as if he disappeared into the mountain. For days we scrutinized every inch of the mountain to perhaps discover some hidden cave or at the very least an explanation for his sudden disappearance," Prince Ali paused as he suppressed his frustration for their failure before proceeding with the rest of his story,

"When the search rendered fruitlessly, we ventured back to the kingdom only to find that the river had dried up and not a speck of rain cloud floated in sky. My King Brother ordered a rationing of water and wine as well as implored neighbor allies for aide. Two months into the drought, our rations spent and allies refused to send supplies as the drought spread towards their land. Chaos ensued. Despite his eloquent speech to pacify the masses, my King Brother barely contained the situation as a small revolt broke out. This forced King Brother to send my older brother and General of the Army to quell the enraged people. Unfortunately this only fueled the fire to the people's disdain towards the court. Feeling desperate, King Brother attempted every possible solution including seeking magical sorcerers and witch doctors, but the drought persisted. Finally news reached us about the magical winter summer conjured up by the beautiful Queen of Arendelle who can control snow and ice. And so here I stand, your Majesty, sent by King Brother with three of my personal bodyguards to ask for your aide."

Then the young prince gestured towards the three men behind him and they momentarily left only to return carrying a small chest each. They strode pass the prince, kneeled, and presented an open chest to the queen. Elsa glanced at the contents of each chest. The samurai held a chest filled with silk garments in every color imaginable, and the African presented a chest full of gold while the Russian displayed a chest full of sparkling jewels.

After feeling satisfied that Queen Elsa has inspected the chest carefully, Prince Ali proceeded to speak in a business tone, "I apologize for this poor amount of gifts. The urgency of the matter prevented from bringing more, and so in addition we would like to extend an offer of alliance and prospects for trade. These gifts are merely a demonstration of the abundant resources available in our kingdom. I am sure I speak for both my King Brother and Persia when I say that Arendelle is most welcomed as a trade partner and we are forever grateful to you, Your Majesty."

With that the young prince kneeled down and with imploring eyes solemnly spoke, "You are our last hope, Queen Elsa. It is a sign from Almighty God Above who has bestowed upon you this mystical power over ice and snow to rescue us from this mysterious drought and its inferno. Please return with us to our kingdom."

* * *

Elsa sighed as she recalled Prince Ali's sincere pleading eyes. As he told her his tale she recognized the flashes of emotions expressed in his color changing eyes. They reflected profound sadness at the recollection of his deceased father, utter rage at the murderer, paralyzing fear as the drought engulfed the land into chaos, and the spark of home that lead to his journey to Arendelle. After all she experienced those similar emotions that engulfed her the day of her coronation, the day of the Freeze, the day men attempted to kill her, the day she nearly lost Anna, and the day she learned about the power of family and love.

Even with the prince and her emotions aside, Elsa felt that the prince presented a compelling case. One in that Arendelle gained a most valuable trading partner in Persia, especially after cutting ties with Wesselton. She hated to admit that the economy suffered a bit from the resulting backlash. Two, this provided her a chance to demonstrate how her powers can be used for good. It seemed after the Freeze, despite constant letters of assurances, some kingdoms felt warily about Elsa and her powers, afraid that with a quick flick of her wrist she would freeze their kingdom into submission.

But the other side of the argument were convincing as well. One, it meant traveling thousands of miles to an unknown kingdom with four strangers. Despite her feelings of sympathy, she only just met the prince and his personal bodyguards moments ago. His unconventional assortment of guards diminished any little trust she potentially mustered. Two in that a recently recovering Arendelle would temporarily lose its newly crowned queen, which leaves Princess Anna in charge.

Then suddenly Elsa's train of thought halted as fear and anxiety shot through her body. The ice shot up through the ceiling and the room slowly started to snow, unnoticed by Elsa. Her emotions swirled inside of her as she realized the gravity of the situation. Leaving to help Prince Ali also meant leaving Anna behind. She knew that Anna would insist on coming if she ends ups journeying to the East with the prince and that she would eventually give in to Anna's persistence. This meant that Arendelle would be left without a proper ruler. The council would refuse to let both Arendelle's remaining monarch to leave. More importantly she wished to protect Anna from harm's way, afraid to lose her once again.

Giving up, Elsa resolved to address the matter later. At the very least, she afforded more time to think on the issue by persuading the prince that she cannot make such as hasty decision without the advice of her council. She told the prince that the council will not be able to meet until three days time after the New Year's Ball and Celebration. Prince Ali politely relented expressing his understanding and accepted the queen's offer to stay in the castle until the council and Elsa arrived at a decision. Elsa slowly picked herself up from the chair and returned to her desk. Papers regarding the preparations for the New Year's Ball on her desk demanded her attention. And more than anything she needed to discussed this matter with Anna first.

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed the story so far. Reviews are most definitely welcomed.**


	3. Anna and the Prince

**Author's Note:** Sorry I lied. I am updating earlier than anticipated. But I am not sure I can keep up with daily updates. I will try for a weekly one. Also I'm experimenting with the spacing. Hopefully it makes it easier to read. Anyways enjoy the story.

**Disclaimer: **As always I do not own Frozen and the characters, just the original ones.

* * *

Chapter 3: Anna and the Prince

Anna happily hummed as she strolled through the castle halls. She just came back after her snowball fight with Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf. The snowball fight escalated when Kristoff recruited Sven into his team and Anna naturally recruited Olaf. She quietly giggled to herself, recalling how she accidentally threw Olaf's body at Kristoff. Despite Olaf's warning, Kristoff failed to dodge in time and somehow Olaf's finger lodged itself up Kristoff's nose. Anna collapsed on the ground from laughter and Sven merely shook his head in amusement. This concluded the snowball fight with Anna clutching her sides and trying desperately to control her laughter while a disgruntled Kristoff pieced back together an apologetic Olaf.

Then she left to save Elsa from burying herself in her paperwork while Kristoff and Sven left to harvest ice for the New Year's Ball with an excitable snowman, curious to see how to harvest ice. Suddenly Anna halted in her tracks as she noticed four strange men out on the castle's garden. She felt certain that foreign guests are due to arrive two days from now for the New Year's Ball and Celebration. Plus why were they outside in the cold? Curiosity filled her as she sneaked close to hid behind a pine tree, daring to inch as close as possible to eavesdrop on the four without their notice.

* * *

The young prince focused on his breathing as he gracefully glided his arms across his body and ever so slowly shifted his weight to his next meditative pose. He broke his concentration with a heavy sigh and a dejected expression on his face. Prince Ali turned to look at the samurai silently sitting legs crossed with his sword resting on top. The samurai's eyes gently opened as the prince addressed him saying, "Takeshi, these meditation exercises are pointless. How can I relax when all I think about is the queen…" He abruptly stopped when he realized the magnitude of his words and hastily added, "… the queen and her decision."

The tall black man caught onto the prince's mistake and mercilessly teased him, "My prince, not an hour has passed since you last saw the queen before she has rendered you completely into a stuttering idiot." He laughed as he slapped the prince on the back.

Prince Ali grumbled, "Very funny, Zuberi. You know very well why I am so anxious about the entire affair. Her majesty's natural beauty and grace momentarily surprised me, but that is all." This earned him a snicker from the African man. Ali ignored it and attempted to assert himself saying, "Besides I think I composed myself well in front of the queen. My nerves are just now getting the best of me. I simply cannot stand still and let events unfold as they may. There has to be something I can do to persuade Queen Elsa."

* * *

Surprised at the conversation unfolding before her, Anna racked her brain for what this all could mean. What could they possible want with Elsa? Clearly the prince appeared enamored by the way he talked about Elsa. Then a thought crossed Anna's mind. Could this possibly be a royal proposal? Anna suppressed a small squeal to escape her mouth, but the idea warmed her. She hoped for Elsa to open up to others outside of their immediate family and castle servants.

Years of isolation had made it difficult for Elsa to connect with anyone outside the castle walls. This prince seemed to be an intriguing character and not to mention quite dashing. He presented an opportunity for Elsa to connect more with the outside world. Even though this idea delighted her at first, a more grim expression crossed Anna's face. In that moment she recalled her disastrous meeting with Prince Hans and his subsequent betrayal. So Anna resolved to further investigate the prince and uncover his true colors.

Then a tap on her shoulder jolted Anna out of her thoughts and turned around to find a blonde man standing behind her. She gasped in shock to have been so preoccupied by her thoughts, failing to notice the blonde man move from his original position next to the samurai and sneak up on her. With a sly grin, the blonde man merely shook his head and announced, "My prince, it seems that we have a guest," bringing Anna to the others' attention.

* * *

Embarrassed for being caught, Anna flashed the other three a weak smile and walked towards them to introduce herself, "Hello. I am Princess Anna, nice to meet you."

Prince Ali then returned her curtsy with a short bow and replied, "Pleasure to meet you, princess. I am Prince Ali of Persia and these are my personal bodyguards…" The prince gestured to each of his guards as he introduced them, "…Takeshi, Zuberi, and well you already met Faddei. I am sorry if he startled you. He means well."Then Prince Ali stood up straight and asked, "To what honor do you grace us with your presence, princess?"

Anna felt taken back by the prince's sudden transformation as she witnessed Prince Ali change from a nervous worrier one moment to a courteous and charming prince in the next. She blushed and then insisted, "Please call me Anna. I am not one for formalities."

To which Prince Ali responded with a sheepish grin on his face, "Then I must ask that you call me Ali then, Anna. I also find it difficult myself to stay regally composed for so long. But if I do not pay the proper respects, then I will not hear the end of it from my brothers. And well, as the youngest I want to impress my older brothers. I hope you understand." The prince scratched his head in embarrassment and Anna could not help but giggle at his antics. Really he was quite interesting. Anna felt that she and the prince will get along just fine. Then Anna shared her sympathies with the prince, explaining how she also feels the same way towards her older sister Elsa.

After a moment of silence, Anna asked the prince, "So why are you and your guards out here in the garden and in the cold?" The prince opened his mouth as if to answer but he immediately closed it. He held his index finger out, asking Anna to wait for a second. Prince Ali turned towards his bodyguard Zuberi and retrieved a leather glove from him. After putting on the glove on his right hand, Ali then whistled using his left hand. The prince held his right hand up and Anna looked around anxiously expecting something to happen. She then spotted a small black dot up in the sky and eventually recognized it as a falcon diving speedily towards them. Instantly the bird closed the distance and Anna felt a sudden gust of wind as the falcon slowed down to perch on Prince Ali's outstretched leather gloved hand.

With a proud expression on his face, Prince Ali faced Anna and gestured towards the falcon, "I want you to meet my closest companion and best friend, Felix." Anna marveled at the majestic falcon and could not help but draw resemblance from Kristoff and Sven to Ali and Felix. She mentally rolled her eyes at the thought, "_Men and their pets." _

Anna then addressed the bird, "Hi Felix. Nice to meet you, my name is Anna." Turning to Prince Ali, Anna inquired, "May I hold him?" Prince Ali smiled and gestured towards Zuberi, who gave Anna the other leather glove. After Anna put the glove on her left hand, Ali gently coaxed Felix to slowly switch position and perch on her gloved hand. Then Prince Ali directed Anna on how to properly pet Felix, instructing her to carefully stroke his back and his wings with her non-gloved hand.

* * *

A sudden call from the castle head butler, Kai, interrupted their conversation, "Princess Anna, Queen Elsa requested that you see her in her study." Princess Anna motioned to return Felix to Prince Ali who responded, "If you would like, Anna, you can send Felix out to fly. I wish to give him more time to hunt." Feeling excited, Anna nodded yes and Prince Ali instructed her to lift Felix up. With a sharp command from Prince Ali, Felix stretched his wings and flew from his perch on Anna's hand. He then proceeded to fly outside the castle grounds and towards the forest.

As they watched Felix disappear, Prince Ali sighed and said, "Anna, I am sure Queen Elsa will tell you about the reason as to why I am here. Quite frankly in hindsight, I should have asked for your permission too as it very much will affect you. Anyways send my regards to the queen as well as my gratitude for opening up your castle to me, my men, and even Felix." With that they parted ways and Anna proceeded to follow the butler Kai.

Before she entered the castle, Anna turned and shouted to Prince Ali, "You seem like a nice guy, but please do not hurt my sister. She means the world to me." In reply Prince Ali stood in attention, placed his clenched right fist across his heart, and proclaimed, "I swear on my mother's and father's grave that I will bring Queen Elsa no harm and will even go so far to protect her with my life." Satisfied, Anna left escorted by Kai to her sister's study.

* * *

**AN: The bodyguards' names were selected in purpose. Look it up if your are interested. Also thank you to MidnightCoffeeAddict for your kind words. I will try my best to update weekly and reviews are always welcomed.**


	4. Inquiries

**AN:** Longest chapter so far. I really wanted to post this chapter as soon as possible. But my busy schedule is making it quite difficult so the next one may not up for a while. Thank you for your patience and I swear I will make it worth the wait. Anyways enjoy this installment.

**Disclaimer:** Do not own Frozen and the characters, just the original ones.

* * *

Chapter 4: Inquiries

A knock on her door alerted Elsa of her visitor. Not just any visitor with the way the visitor knocked in rhythm. Then a voice softly spoke out, "Elsa?" Elsa grinned knowing exactly who it was and replied, "Come in, Anna."

Slowly Anna opened the door and tentatively peeked inside Elsa's private study. Before Elsa had time to walk around her desk to greet her sister, Anna rushed in and embraced her in a tight hug. This caught Elsa by surprise which temporarily dissipated as she returned the warm embrace with a small squeeze.

Years of isolation and fear forced Elsa to build enforcements around her heart, trying to conceal her emotions to protect those most dear to her. Her carefully guarded icy barrier shattered with a mere warm and kind touch from Anna. Picking up the pieces and learning to deal with the newfound acceptance of her feelings and powers might be a difficult path to travel. And although she might never be able to wear her heart on her sleeves like Anna, Elsa knew that Anna would always be there to support her. That's why she refused to make such an important decision without taking Anna's feelings into consideration.

Pulling away from their embrace and giving Anna a serious look, Elsa began, "Anna, there's something very important I need to talk to you about. I'm not sure if you heard about our guest from Persia but…"

Anna quickly interrupted her, "Yeah, I know. I've even met Prince Ali." Surprised Elsa gave her an inquisitive look and responded, "Really?! You even know about his special request?" To which Anna smiled and replied, "I do."

Then Elsa watched in confusion as Anna's cheerful demeanor disappeared and a mischievous grin plastered her face. "So…" Anna proceeded to walk around Elsa like a killer whale circling its prey as she asked in a mockingly business tone, "…what does Queen Elsa of Arendelle think of Prince Ali of Persia?"

Elsa raised an eyebrow at her sister's strange behavior, but decided to play along with her charade and responded in an equally false serious tone, "Well, Prince Ali is courteous as expected from one with royal upbringing. He is earnest but also sincere in his request. It is quite admirable of him to travel so far when a letter or even a royal messenger would suffice."

Ever so slowly Elsa broke out of character as a timid smile graced her face. After shyly brushing a strand of her hair around her ear, she continued, "Such a noble act demonstrates his compassion for his family and his people. I doubt you can find any other lord ever so kind, sensible, brave, strong, and charming…" Elsa paused quite shock by the words leaving her mouth. She turned away from embarrassment, wishing to conceal the evident blush on her face.

All the while Anna listened intently as she observed her sister change her facial expression and tone from a regal queen to a soft-spoken shy young woman. She had never witness her sister so strongly expressive much less so bashful, a surprisingly welcomed change in Anna's opinion. She even found it quite adorable.

Not able to contain her excitement any longer, Anna squealed and walked around to face her sister. Looking up eagerly at Elsa, Anna bombarded her with questions, "So what was your answer? Did you say yes? Wait, isn't this too fast? Shouldn't you take things slow? I mean he seems great but do you think you are ready for this? We don't want another Prince Han, right?"

Elsa stared back at Anna bewildered as she watched her sister start to pace. She tried to catch Anna's attention, "Wait… Anna, slow down. What are you talking about?"

But Anna raved on, "Maybe we should give him a chance. I mean it is not fair to compare him to someone like Han. He seemed sincere when he made me that promise. But don't worry, Elsa. If he hurts you in anyway, he has to answer to me!" As she made this proclamation, Anna puffed out her chest and a determined look graced her face. Elsa could not help but smile at Anna. She had no doubt that Anna would keep that promise.

Amusingly Anna ranted on, "I'll scare him straight and introduce him to Marshmallow. That should teach him a lesson…" But Elsa felt the need to stop Anna and raised her voice to finally gain Anna's attention. When Anna realized how she rambled on, she quickly apologized and gave Elsa a sheepish grin.

Taking her sister's hands in hers, Elsa replied, "Do not worry about it. While I appreciate the extent to which you will show your concern for me, I am just not sure what you are talking about?" Confounded Anna answered, "We are talking about Prince Ali's marriage proposal, right?"

Upon hearing this Elsa clutched her side, laughing at the hilarity that ensured from Anna's misunderstanding. Anna raised her eyebrow in confusion, feeling unsure about the situation and at Elsa's reaction. After noticing Anna's baffled expression, Elsa wiped away her tears of laughter away and regained her composure. She then proceeded to tell her sister the true nature of Prince Ali's request.

* * *

After instructing Zuberi to escort Felix back his room and sending Faddei out to the markets to shop for gifts to bring back home, Prince Ali strolled along the castle grounds. Takeshi quietly followed the young lord a few paces back. His hand hovered cautiously over the hilt of his sword. Eventually the pair stumbled upon the castle stables. There Prince Ali noticed a blonde young man hauling chunks of ice. Ali rushed up to greet him, "Hello there, good sir. May I help you and unburden you of your load?"

Surprised to see the young man and his older companion before him, Kristoff felt alarmed at first and only relaxed a little after some assurances of peace from the younger man. Shrugging Kristoff asked, "I guess, but why do you want to help me?"

Prince Ali flashed him a smile and replied, "Well, I am simply fascinated by ice. You cannot find it from where I am from. I have read books about ice, even how sometimes the ice reflects the light to create beautiful and color streaks across the sky like a rainbow. But after touching and seeing them up close in all its majesty, I realized those books fail to give it justice. This is quite an interesting profession you have here. If you would please, tell me all about it."

Sharing in his enthusiasm and conversing as they hauled the ice to be stored in the castle's depository, Kristoff proceeded to tell him all about ice harvesting. He eagerly told him about the techniques he so painstakingly mastered, recounting a time when he struggled to pull the ice out. This incident ended with him in the icy cold water and Sven pulling him out.

Prince Ali gave him an inquisitive look and asked, "What's a Sven?" Kristoff chuckled and explained that Sven is his reindeer best friend who helps him carry the ice down the mountains. Instantly Kristoff and Prince Ali bonded over ice and their close animal friends. Strangely their interaction reminded Kristoff of Anna and how he unknowingly warmed up to her just as he is now with the young man.

Finally after storing the last chunk of ice away, Kristoff asked, "I don't think I caught yours or your friend's name." He gestured to the older man silently observing on the side as the two of them worked. The young man insisted that the samurai relaxed and let the younger more energetic men take care of the physical labor to which the older man obliged without protest. Ali then introduced himself as well as Takeshi. Kristoff also introduced himself and with a firm handshake sealed their friendship.

* * *

After Elsa recounted Prince Ali's tale and laid out the consequences of her decision, Anna only replied with a simply, "Oh!" She felt embarrassed by her misunderstanding earlier. But then she furrowed her eyebrows and closed her eyes in concentration thinking about the dilemma Elsa presented.

Of course, she would like Elsa to go and help Prince Ali. Anna felt that others should witness just how amazing Elsa's powers are and the great things she is capable of. Hopefully they would be more accepting of Elsa as a result. Even though she would terribly miss her sister, Anna resolved to persuade Elsa to leave with Ali, but convincing Elsa as well as the council would be challenging. Then an idea popped in her head.

Anna opened her eyes and spoke, "Listen, Elsa. I understand your qualms for leaving me to rule Arendelle to aide Prince Ali. But I do not want to be the reason why you turn him down. There are people out there that need you and your powers. Their deaths would be on my hands." Elsa grabbed Anna's hand, rebuking her for thinking such thoughts. Anna shook her head and explained, "Elsa, your powers are a gift, one that you should share with the world. We have no right to refuse the people and hide it away." Touched by her words, Elsa squeezed Anna's hands in gratitude.

Despite her words of encouragement, Anna clearly noticed that Elsa still felt conflicted. So she decided to pull out her trump card. Anna then suggested, "If you are worried about leaving Arendelle in my hands, then let's make a deal. I will take control over all the planning and preparations for the New Year's Ball and Celebration. I will prove to you and the council exactly what I am capable of. That will put those old geezers in their place. Also you, sister, will run out of excuses not to go. So what do you say, Elsa? If I dazzle you, then will you consider traveling back with Ali and save his kingdom?"

Shocked to hear Anna's suggestion, Elsa merely nodded in agreement, not sure how else to response. Refusing her sister proved difficult especially when Anna gives you the large, sad, and pleading puppy eyes. But then she smiled, feeling quite proud of her sister. Sometimes Anna would show glimpses of maturity beyond hers. Elsa felt that Anna would make a wonderful queen.

With a triumphant look on her face, Anna stated, "Great. Now all you have to worry about is getting to know Prince Ali more maybe even fall in love. And so I hope you don't mind but I invited him to join us for dinner. "

Before Elsa had a chance to react, Anna bolted towards the door like a culprit caught sneaking away with her loot of chocolates. Then Anna waved her sister goodbye before disappearing down the hall. Elsa touched her temple, looked down, and shook her head in disbelief at the predicament Anna left her to deal with.

* * *

**AN: **I hope I did not make the Frozen cast too out of character. I try to apply my impression of their individual personalities and relate to how they might act at the given situation. Please let me know if I went overboard with it. Also thank you so much for the reviews. They were very encouraging and motivating. So as always reviews are welcomed.


	5. Dinner with the Prince

**Author's** **Note: **I was not planning to update so soon but this chapter has been bouncing around my head, begging to be written down. So against my better judgement I wrote this overnight. Also I would like to thank MidnightCoffeeAddict. Because of your critical review, I was finally able to piece together how I wanted this chapter to be portrayed. Anyways I hope you enjoy this chapter.

**Disclaimer: **As always I do not own Frozen and the characters, just the original ones.

* * *

Chapter 5: Dinner with the Prince

Crippling tense silence, save the soft clatter of spoons that brought morsels of food to the holder's mouth, engulfed the dinner table. Not a word escaped the lips of those dining ever since they sat down. This silence persisted as servants served the hors d'oeuvres, which were followed by the fish soup presently consumed.

Staring at the nervous prince across from her, Anna realized that dinner was starting to look like a terrible idea. Somehow Elsa had turned the tables on her by preparing this elaborate four-course meal at the castle's formal dining hall. Normally they held dinners in the private family dining room, opting its practicality and cozy environment. This oppressive atmosphere was not how Anna envisioned dinner with the prince.

At some point Anna wished to strike up a conversation but maintaining her composure that the formal circumstances demanded devoured whatever energy she had left. Anna spent the day dealing with last minute planning issues for the New Year's festival, making sure that everything is perfect down to the most miniscule detail. Now dinner turned out to be equally frustrating especially if she had to pause and figure out which among the assorted range of spoons was for the soup.

Looking to her right, Anna noticed that Kristoff appeared to be only concentrating on the bowl in front of him and deliberately ate slowly. Likewise the formal dinner caught him off guard. Luckily Kristoff sat beside Anna, who would then whisper about his posture or nudge him towards the proper spoon to use. Unfortunately Prince Ali across from her was a lost cause as a certain someone would intercept any hints Anna could potentially pass along.

Glancing to her left at the head of the table, Anna mentally scowled at the reason they were suffering in this predicament. Unlike the other three at the table, Elsa remained calm and collected as she savored her meal. She acted cool and composed as if oblivious to the others' discomfort.

* * *

Despite her regal front, Elsa secretly felt disturb. She only wanted to impress the prince and show him what Arendelle has to offer. Plus she realized earlier that hiding behind a mask of formality would be the best way to keep herself and her emotions in check. The prince's presence jumbled her emotions into chaos. She wished to stay aloof and cautious at least until she can figure it all out.

Also Prince Ali's mysterious bodyguards stationed outside the door made it difficult for her to trust the prince. It seemed too coincidental to have a samurai, an African, and a Russian together as guards. But then the sound of servants bringing the venison main course halted her line of thought.

* * *

All the while poor Prince Ali unaccustomed to proper dining etiquette practiced in Arendelle squirmed in his seat, unsure which correct utensil to use or even how to use it. Mentally he scolded himself for not familiarizing himself with the proper dinner customs in Arendelle. His efforts in looking presentable by pulling his hair back in a ponytail and donning his favorite red silk shirt with gold embroidery now seemed frivolous.

He quickly peeked at the others to see which proper silverware to pick up. The colors on his face drained as he witnessed the others use their left hand to hold the steak in place with a fork as they sliced through the meat with a knife. Prince Ali hesitated, feeling conflicted about the situation. Up to this point he had only been using his right hand. Slowly he lifted his left hand as he mentally prepared himself. Although his culture condemns the usage of the left hand during meals, he felt that it would be ruder to refuse the dish set before him.

* * *

At the corner of her eye, Elsa observed a bead of sweat roll down Prince Ali's cheek as his left hand shakily touched the fork. Finally deciding to end their silence, Elsa asked, "Prince Ali, is there something wrong with your food? I assure you it is quite a delicacy." Prince Ali smiled weakly. He started to respond, but a loud bang interrupted him as the doors to the dining hall slammed open.

Dashing in and plopping down on the chair next to Ali, Olaf shouted, "Why didn't you guys tell me that you moved dinner here? I panicked when I didn't find you at the other room. I almost sent Marshmallow to search the kingdom but luckily Kai directed me here." Then Olaf noticed the stranger next to him and with wide grin greeted, "Hi, my name is Olaf and I like warm hugs."

Unperturbed by the talking snowman, Prince Ali replied, "Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Sir Olaf." Olaf raised his eyebrows in confusion and turned his head to whisper to Kristoff, "Sir? I think this guy needs his head check. I'm obviously a snowman, not a human."

Choosing to ignore the comment, Prince Ali then explained, "Well I was under the impression that I am among dignitaries. So I don't expect you to be anything else less than a knight." Shaking his head, Olaf responded, "Nope. Just a snowman created by Elsa." Then suddenly Ali apologized, "I'm sorry, my lord. I did not realize that you are of noble birth."

Surprised by the flattery, Olaf blushed and teased Ali, "You are so silly! You think I am a noble knight." Prince Ali sheepishly grinned and exclaimed, "Why not?! Tell me, Sir Olaf, have you ever risked your life to save someone?" To which the snowman excitedly recalled, "I helped bring summer back when Elsa's powers went crazy."

Then Olaf proceeded to tell Prince Ali the story. Ali listened intently as the snowman recounted his adventure with Kristoff, Anna, and Sven. His facial expression crestfallen when he heard Elsa accidentally froze Anna's heart and then delighted when love thawed her heart.

Meanwhile, the other three watched this interaction occur in shock. Kristoff and Anna gave each other a quizzical look as Kristoff chuckled while Anna covered her mouth as she giggled. Elsa raised her eyebrows in amusement, not quite sure what to make of the scene unfolding before her.

* * *

After Olaf finished his tale, Prince Ali declared, "My God, you must be commended for your bravery. I cannot rest tonight lest you are knighted." Straitening up in his seat, Prince Ali proclaimed, "Repeat these oaths after me. Do you swear to stand and fight for all that is good?" Olaf then stood in attention looking ever so serious and replied, "I do."

Prince Ali continued, "Do you promise to help a person in need and protect the weak even if you are in harm's way?" Olaf eagerly nodded and responded, "I do."

Finally Prince Ali gazed at Olaf intensely and emphasized, "Now this is the most important oath you can ever make as a knight. Do you solemnly swear to stay loyal to Queen Elsa of Arendelle, to serve and protect her with your life?" A wide grin spread across Olaf's face as he replied, "I do, of course. She is the nicest, gentlest, and warmest person ever."

Prince Ali smiled and declared, "Then by the power vested in me as Prince Ali of Persia and with the permission from Queen Elsa of Arendelle…" He paused to glance at Elsa and gave her a goofy grin. Surprised by the expectant looks she was receiving, Elsa simply nodded unable to resist Olaf's excitedly pleading stare and Prince Ali's cute smile. After obtaining permission, Ali tapped Olaf's shoulder with the butter knife and proclaimed, "… I now pronounce you Sir Olaf the Snowman, Knight of Arendelle!"

A round of applause erupted as the four congratulated Olaf. Delight graced Olaf's face and proudly claimed, "I cannot believe I am a knight. I need to tell Sven and Marshmallow…" With that the snowman hurried out of the hall just as quickly as he entered. Thanks to Olaf's entrance and Prince Ali's crazy antics, the tense atmosphere disappeared and dinner proceeded in a jovial mood.

* * *

But as they finished the main course, Prince Ali cleared his throat and nonchalantly stated, "I have given this some thought. When I consider the situation in your shoes, Queen Elsa, I understand how daunting my request might be and even quite dangerous for a young maiden to travel with four strange men. But then I realized that is exactly the problem. My guards and I are complete strangers to you. How can we be trusted? The answer at first seemed simply. Her majesty just needed time to know my men and I better; that there is more to my men than their grimacing and intimidating façade. I would not trust my life with anyone else."

Prince Ali sighed before continuing, "Unfortunately, given the circumstances, we cannot afford such luxury and so here's what I propose. If it pleases your Highness, then each night I will tell a story about how one of my men came under my service. Even if after hearing their tales and consulting with your council that you are still not convinced to journey back to Persia with us, then I will humbly accept my fate and leave Arendelle."

Intrigued by his proposal, Elsa consented saying, "Very well, Prince Ali. Tell us one of your tales." The prince flashed Elsa a charming smile and replied, "As you please, your majesty."

But before Ali could start, Anna interjected and shyly grinned, "Can we have our dessert first? I hear it is the chef's special molten lava chocolate cake?"

* * *

**AN:** I hope you enjoyed this update. I do not think I will be able to post one until Thursday at the earliest. Also I would like to apologize again for story title being misleading. I know I already said this, but the reason I am mentioning this again is because the journey and the whole mystery with the drought will not start for a long while. There are a lot of loose-ends that I have to complete in Arendelle. Plus the whole storytelling thing was part of my original plan because I felt that the original characters' back story need to be fleshed out so that events later on could be understood. As much as I want them to leave Arendelle already, I do not want to rush it. So please bear with me in that regard and keep the whole mysterious drought thing at the back of your mind. Anyways reviews are always welcomed.

**P.S. **If you didn't read my profile or if you have not figured it out, the storytelling part was influenced by the Arabian Nights as a result of the subsequent literature course I am taking. So keep that idea of "a story for a life" in the back of your mind too (Hopefully not giving too much away with this).


	6. To the Parlor for a Story

**Author's Note:** First I would like to thank you all, especially to the ones who reviewed my story. To show my appreciation for your patience and kind support, I am awarding you with my longest chapter to date. Enjoy.

**Disclaimer:** Do not own Frozen and the characters, just the original ones in this story.

* * *

Chapter 6: To the Parlor for a Story

Prince Ali felt elated yet nervous about the sudden turn of events. At Anna's suggestion, they decided to move the party to the castle parlor. She argued that they would be able to relax comfortably on the sofa next to a warm fireplace while eating their cake and listening to the story.

As they left the dining hall, Anna animatedly conversed about all kinds of pastries and cookies they potentially could enjoy. When Ali confessed that he never tried krumkake or hot chocolate, Anna gasped in shock and made it her mission to procure some for him. So she excused herself and dashed towards the kitchen before anyone had a chance to react.

Then Kristoff also excused himself, citing that he had to tuck in Sven to sleep with a lullaby, but promised to return afterwards. Quite coincidentally Prince Ali long dismissed his guards for the night, thus he found himself alone with the queen for the first time ever.

* * *

They walked in silence to the castle parlor. Elsa glided down the hall with her hands grasped in front of her as she guided Ali through the castle. Occasionally she would gesture towards any room of significance such as the art gallery or library when they happened to pass them. With his hands clasped behind his back, Prince Ali quietly followed a few paces back and listened politely as the queen gave him a brief tour of the castle.

Grateful to be out of the queen's view, Ali secretly admired Elsa and her natural grace and beauty. Her every movement, whether it is a raise brow or a flick of her wrist, proved too fatal for Ali. His heart leaped out of his chest with her every glance or graceful motion. He feared that the ringing sound in his head from his loudly beating and aching heart would be the end of him or even worse should Elsa ever notice. So enraptured by the queen's presence, he barely contained and quelled his tornado of emotions. But Ali mentally calmed his nerves just enough to maintain his composed outer appearance.

Although he would never openly admit it and would persistently deny such allegations, Ali realized just how much he felt smitten by the queen. But reality kept him grounded. Knowing that he could never act out or express his feelings, Ali instead attempted to focus on the task in front of him. These crucial three days could possibly be his last in Arendelle. So for now, he reveled in these fleeting moments with Elsa.

* * *

A soft angelic voice snapped Ali out of his reveries. Unexpectedly Elsa stopped on her tracks to face the prince and Ali nearly bumped into her. Acting as if unaware how dangerously close the prince almost was, Elsa addressed Ali saying, "I would like to thank you about earlier. What you did for Olaf was sweet and kind. That little guy is very dear to Anna and me. Honestly, I should have done something like that for him long ago."

Nearly melting at the sincere and genuine gaze Elsa gave him, Ali sheepishly grinned and asked, "May I speak frankly, your Majesty?" To which Elsa smirked and replied, "Really, Prince Ali, when have you not?! You have been speaking so candidly the moment you stepped foot in my castle. Why would you need my permission now?" Then Elsa abruptly turned around and continued to walk ahead, but not before stating, "And please call me Elsa. No need for such decorum when it is just us two."

Taken aback by Elsa's playful smirk and sarcastic tone, Ali beamed and proceeded to catch up with the queen. He then started to apologize, "My apologies, Your High…" He froze at Elsa's stern look and corrected himself saying, "…Elsa. I would like to first extend the same courtesy and insist you call me Ali."

Elsa nodded in response before Prince Ali continued, "As for the matter earlier, I would like to say that I am quite fond of Olaf. Although initially I must admit that witnessing a talking walking snowman surprised me, but his sweet child-like innocence set me at ease. He reminded me of all things pure and good in this world. And that sometimes these self-imposed rules of proper etiquette and false pretenses are utterly ridiculous. They hinder us from seeing what truly is important in our lives. In that we should instead relish in the present and appreciate our daily blessings. To spite all our misgivings in the world, we should just let it all go."

Ever so slowly Prince Ali turned more animated as he lectured on, "More importantly is the fact that you created Olaf. Even though they say not to confuse the art with the artist, I simply cannot ignore how quite essentially the artist and his art are inseparable. If the art is a medium of artistic expression, then I feel as though the artist inserted a bit of their self in their work. Thus I see Olaf as reflection of you, Elsa. A part of you unknowingly conveyed through his creation. Perhaps he beckoned feelings of childhood innocence and memories of happier times when life seemed so simply. Regardless the shear intensity of emotions through which Olaf is built from draws you in to him, much like his creator. I find you and your powers so fascinating. You can turn ordinary snow into something so magical, bringing life into what once was so lifeless."

* * *

By then the two reached the parlor and only then Prince Ali realized how he rambled on. He apologized to Elsa for his unexpected rant. Elsa merely smiled and dismissed his apology saying "No, please go on. I enjoy such intriguing and intellectual conversations. This is a nice change of pace. There is no one here in the castle that I can talk to like this." Then Elsa guided Ali towards the sofa by the fireplace and the two conversed while waiting for the rest of the party to arrive.

Anna arrived with maids in tow carrying trays of their cake, krumkake, and hot chocolate. She seated herself on the sofa across from Elsa and Ali. When she noticed how oddly close the two sat, Anna sent an amused and knowingly glance at Elsa, who rolled her eyes in response.

She then turned her attention to Prince Ali and asked him how he liked the hot chocolate and krumkake. Ali expressed his delight and thanked Anna for introducing him to such exotic delicacies. Soon Kristoff arrived and plopped down next to Anna before proceeding to munch on the desserts on the coffee table in the middle. Once everyone settled down comfortably, Prince Ali began the tale.

* * *

One day when I was a young boy, my father the King allowed me in the throne room for a public hearing. I was starting to recover from an illness that bedridden me since birth and my anxious father wished to keep me under close watch. On that particular day, a merchant brought his black slave forth and demanded justice for the slave's wrong doings. The King commanded the merchant to tell the court of the black slave's crime and so the merchant proceeded with his tale.

For years the black slave proved himself to be a competent and hardworking servant. So competent in fact that the merchant increased his profit five-fold since he procured this African slave. Thus the merchant handsomely rewarded the slave, positioning him as his second-hand with a regular salary in his business. But yesterday, the slave unexpectedly revolted against the merchant. The slave ruined his estate by selling merchandises below profit and providing inside-knowledge to his close business rivals.

This completely baffled the merchant especially when he had done nothing wrong and richly awarded the slave for his work. He even took him under his wing and protected him from harm. Then the merchant proceeded to recount how he came upon this black slave. It seemed the slave ran away from his previous master, the farmer, and to save the slave from punishment decided to house him.

My father the King then requested for the farmer be brought forth. The farmer supported the merchant's story of the slave's escape and proceeded to demand justice as well for the slave equally wronged him. At this point the farmer began to explain how upon purchasing this African slave he profited immensely as well. The black slave was his hardest worker and for many years toiled the field without a complaint. But then one day when the farmer returned from the market, he noticed the black slave gone with his goods and had never seen him again until this day.

After hearing all of this, the King then sentenced the black slave to be executed. But then I pleaded with my father to retract such punishment. The entire time I observed the slave who never once flinched as these accusations were presented before the king. He quietly accepted his fate without protest although his stern gaze said otherwise. I realized that there was more to this story and felt compelled to appeal for the slave's behalf.

So I debated and asked my father to behold the slave who remained silent throughout this whole affair. I said, "Father, look at this tall black slave. Clearly his physique is not that of a farmhand who must bend down all day to harvest from the land. Likewise his bulging muscles hardly indicate a man who sits behind a desk tending to mercantile business as a right hand man."

Pausing to take a breath as the entire court riveted their eyes towards me, I continued, "No, this man is clearly meant for so much more. His warrior physique and countenance bespeak of a hardened veteran soldier. And since I am in much need of a personal bodyguard, here is what I propose. If it so pleases the King, let this slave work as my personal bodyguard and send his salary to the merchant and the farmer in compensation for their loss."

The merchant and the farmer began to protest but my father stopped them with a raise of his hand. He announced that the slave be sentenced as I have described and given two hundred lashes as punishment to satisfy the offended merchant and farmer. Afterwards my father dismissed the court and once everyone left, save for the black slave, he beamed at me and encircled me in a crushing hug as he expressed how proud he was of me and my noble act.

* * *

Taking the slave's hand in mine, I dragged him around the palace and gave him the grand tour. Finally I showed him to my room and asked for his side of the story. I learned about this black slave Zuberi and his unfortunate plight, which landed him in the palace in front of the king. He proceeded to tell me that his family were once prominent in Africa and that he once was destined to lead his people. This sense of moral obligation instilled in him ever since he was a boy.

But then a sudden war erupted and he ended up separated from his family and people. They were sold as slaves of war and sent to far off places. Many of his people accepted their fate, but Zuberi refused to give in. He felt that as their leader he must demonstrate his strong will to fight and determination to set his people free. Thus Zuberi persisted to cause trouble for his masters until he was sold to the farmer.

The farmer struck a deal with Zuberi stating that if he proved to be a hardworking and reliable slave, then after three years of service the farmer will set him free. And so Zuberi stopped resisting and for three years worked without causing any more problems. But three years passed and the farmer refused Zuberi his freedom as he was afraid of losing his most diligent slave. This led to his escape until he crossed path with the merchant.

Just as the merchant professed earlier, he housed Zuberi and promoted him to be the right hand man in his mercantile business. But then Zuberi explained how the merchant left out an important detail. When Zuberi told the merchant of his incident with the farmer and false promises of freedom, the merchant decided to strike up a similar deal. This time however the merchant drew up a legally binding contract and thus Zuberi agreed to work for the merchant.

Three years passed, Zuberi approached the merchant and asked for his freedom as promised. But the merchant tore up the contract and set it a blazed. Much like the farmer, the merchant felt scared about losing his most profitable servant. Thus Zuberi retaliated by leaving the merchant's estate in ruins and planned to escape until the king's guard seized him and brought him to the court with the merchant.

Upon hearing about his misfortunes, I wept for him. Then I decided to make a similar deal as the farmer and merchant had, but resolved to keep it unlike the two. I felt that this was the least I can do and hoped to demonstrate that as a prince in my father's royal court, I would never falsely wrong him as the farmer and merchant had. But given his history, Zuberi originally refused my proposition.

Then an idea came to mind. I pulled out the hunting knife that my father gave me on my last birthday from its chest. Taking the knife in my left hand, I made a small incision across the palm of my right hand. Shocked by my irrational actions, Zuberi ran and grabbed the knife away from me. He asked me why I would do such a thing. But I ignored him and instructed that he do the same with his right hand.

Reluctantly Zuberi proceeded to cut the palm of his right hand. Then I grasped his right hand in my own and proclaimed, "I, Prince Ali of Persia, take this blood oath with my personal bodyguard, Zuberi. I promise to set Zuberi free once he has completed three years of service and to further seal this oath I will tell Zuberi my deepest secret. Should I fail to uphold my end of the bargain, then he may break his promise to keep this secret." With that I told him my deepest secret and sealed the blood oath.

* * *

In those three years I found a friend, mentor, and confidant in Zuberi. Alongside with Takeshi, Zuberi taught me the art of the sword, bare-handed combat, archery, and many more. He even introduced me to Felix and instructed me all about falconry. But more importantly he became my playmate and showed me how to be a kid, teaching me various games. As a young boy who had been stuck in room for so long, I never knew such thrill and for the first time learned how to laugh and just have fun. Zuberi proved to be the perfect foil to Takeshi's strict adherence to rules and discipline.

Then a week before the end of Zuberi's term of service, I started to qualm over my oath long ago. I fretted over the fact that I would soon lose a close companion forever. So for the rest of the week, I choose to tiptoe around the topic and never once brought up my promise, effectively evading it. But every time thoughts of breaking my promise would surface, my right hand began to ache. This pain increased with each passing day until the day before which marked Zuberi's three years of service. The burning pain became horribly unbearable and I collapsed as a result.

That night as I lay confided in my room, I stared at the small scar across the palm of my right hand. I realized that I must uphold my promise and secure Zuberi his freedom. This was the proper way to honor his years of service to me, but more importantly for being a good friend.

* * *

Thus this scar became my constant reminder to stay true to my word and to only make promises that I intend to keep. Prince Ali then raised his right hand and showed the scar to Anna. In response, Anna nodded and with hopeful eyes asked, "But Zuberi ended up staying with you right?"

Prince Ali shook his head and explained that at the final day he approached his father told him all about his promise to Zuberi. The king granted Zuberi his freedom, paid him for his service, and provided provisions for Zuberi's journey back to Africa. And ever since I never heard about Zuberi again until five years later. I happened to cross him at the marketplace and to my surprise witnessed him bow before me in front of a large crowd.

So I pulled him aside and asked what was the meaning of all this. He then recounted the last five years to me. When he returned home, his kingdom that he once fought hard for was long gone. Instead a thriving mercantile port popped up in its place. And so Zuberi decided to invest the money my father rewarded him. His investments turned a significant profit and now he was a wealthy business man with a grand estate who could ask for nothing more.

But as the years passed, Zuberi felt restless and unsatisfied about the world despite his success. Then he saw me in the market that day and his mind became clear. In all his life, he had never felt so honored and content except those years he served me. Once again dropping down to his knees, Zuberi bowed and implored that I take him back as my bodyguard.

Moved by his words, I pulled him up and met his gazed while proclaiming, "No, I will not take you back as my bodyguard. But I will take you back as my close friend, confidant, and mentor once more." From then on Zuberi remained a royal and true friend.

* * *

**AN**: _I really struggled with the opening scene just because I wanted to get it right. I even debated about taking it out, but I am glad I did not. This gave me a chance to show you the complexity and depth of Ali's character, which I really cannot do with the Frozen cast as much. I am planning to explore his character more in the future and I hope you picked up on the little hints. Also I wanted to express how he potentially could be as Elsa's companion and just how different he is in that regard. Let me know if you like that about him (Also sorry for ranting through him and even here). Anyways reviews are always welcome as they keep me motivated to write. Until next time..._


	7. Gallivanting Through the Town

**Author's Note:** Sorry I have not updated for a long time (although I think I'm within my one update a week goal). I thought I was going to have this up soon, but the chapter required more research and re-thinking on my part. Although it is more of a fun chapter to break the last serious one, I am using it as a segue for the next. So it took me awhile to get it right. Anyways enjoy :)

**Disclaimer:** As always do not own Frozen and the characters, just the original ones.

* * *

Chapter 7: Gallivanting Through the Town

The castle bustled with activity as the servants set up for the New Year's Ball and Celebration. At the heart of this hurricane, Anna stood directing the servants and masterfully orchestrating the organized chaos. Carefully dodging and weaving through the crowd, Elsa approached Anna and asked if she could help for the festival tomorrow. But Anna assured her that she had everything under control and that Elsa should take the day off.

Thus Anna shooed Elsa out of the ballroom and Elsa found herself with nothing to do. So Elsa proceeded towards the castle library, deciding to enjoy a previous pastime. As she turned the corner, Elsa bumped into a cloaked stranger. Then Elsa felt a strange sense of déjà vu as she stared at the dirty blonde haired man before her.

The man quickly pulled up his hood to cover his head and apologized before briskly walking past Elsa. But Elsa instantly recognized his gentle tenor voice and swore that she witnessed the man's eyes change colors. So Elsa stopped the stranger and asked, "Prince Ali? Is that you? What are you…"

But the man hurriedly covered her mouth and pulled her into a room. Then the man apologized, "I'm sorry, Elsa. But I'm going to ask that you stay silent for bit. I'll explain it all later once they are gone." Elsa motioned to protest but remained quiet as Prince Ali held his index finger against his mouth. Then she heard loud footsteps echo in the hall.

* * *

Elsa peered through the keyhole and noticed two shadowy figures directly standing in front of the door. One of the shadowed figures asked the other, "Zuberi, did you see the Prince?" The taller figure responded, "Sorry, Takeshi. He is probably up to his old antics again." Takeshi sighed, "He is not making our job any easier. I hope Faddei had better luck finding him."

Zuberi chuckled and assured the samurai, "Do not worry and let him be. He can take care of himself. Besides he left us a list of errands to finish by the end of the day." Takeshi grumbled, "I am sure he is using that list as a diversion. But it is probably better we complete the list as he asked. Come on, we better get going."As the two disappeared with their footsteps fainting away, Elsa heard Ali breathed out a sigh of relief.

She then demanded an explanation from him. So the prince began, "There are times when I want to leave the confinements of the palace and see what life is like outside its walls. So I don a disguise and for a day act like a normal everyday person. I cannot really do that if I have guards following me everywhere I go. Plus you will be surprise to discover people's true nature when they drop the pleasantries and disregard royal conducts. Aren't you a bit curious about life outside the castle and how others perceive you?"

Elsa nodded her head in response and recounted her painful past, "For years when I was a child and my parents locked me in my room, I would stare out the window and marveled at the beauty of Arendelle. I watched the people go about their usual business unknowingly as I observed them. But then my powers fogged my window, once again reminding me of my fears. Because of my unique powers and status as princess, I isolated myself from the rest of the world and adhered to a certain social conduct. I realized that, more than anything, I wanted to live a normal life like those townspeople below who were free from restraints and went about their day as they please. What wishful thinking for a princess, much less for a future queen!"

Giving her a sheepish grin, Prince Ali asked, "Well then, Elsa. Would you care to join me in my escapades? I could use an accomplice and guide as I go gallivanting through the town." A small smile graced Elsa's face as she nodded. To which Ali responded, "Great! But first let's change you out of those clothes. Although I find your wintery and glittery dress beautiful, it is hardly subtle." Grabbing Elsa's hand, Prince Ali sneaked them out of the castle using the window cleaner's pulley and led them to the nearest clothing shop.

* * *

Elsa could not figure out what compelled her to agree to this. Perhaps Ali's spontaneity and excitable high energy proved too contagious for her. Regardless here she was practically putting on a show for Prince Ali as she tried on dress after dress. He had longed chosen his bunad outfit of black trousers partially tucked in high-knee white socks, black dress buckled shoes, white long-sleeved dress shirt, red v-shaped vest with golden embroidery, and brass buttoned black jacket. Then he finished his look with a simply black hat and pulled his dyed dirty blonde hair in a ponytail.

Presently Ali lounged on a chair as he critically scrutinized each of Elsa's bunad outfit and waved dress after dress off disapprovingly saying, "Nope that won't do. You still look too queenly… No, not that one either. It's too eye-catching… No, you will be breaking every young man's heart with that outfit…" Feeling impatient Prince Ali gave up and said, "Well this is pointless. Whatever dress you put on, you look absolutely gorgeous."

Elsa blushed as Ali gave her a sly grin. He then continued, "I suppose choose your favorite one and it will be my treat. Then we can go on our way." So Elsa decided on a bunad outfit of white long-sleeved blouse under a royal blue wide collared vest with golden snowflake embroidery, and a long silver-colored skirt with a faint repeating pattern of grey snowflakes. She then finished her outfit with a dark blue cape and matching bonnet.

After purchasing their clothes and paying the clerk extra to keep silent about their visit, they proceeded out to explore the rest of the town. As they left the clothing shop, Ali excitedly asked Elsa, "So which exciting thing should we do first? What would regular Elsa like to do on her day off?"

* * *

Elsa silently giggled at the Ali's bewildered expression. He raised an eyebrow in confusion and inquired, "Are you sure this is the first place you want to see? It is not exactly the first place I think of when going on an adventure. But that's fine. Ladies choice I suppose."

Elsa smirked, happy to get her way, and responded, "Well, I would be sitting cozy in the castle library with nice novel in hand right about now. So instead I'm out here and I guess this bookstore will just have to do." Ali shrugged and followed Elsa into the bookstore.

Although it may not be as massive as the castle's library collection, the bookstore held its own with its varied assortment of books and Elsa felt impressed by the small store's collection. As she carefully inspected the shelves, she noticed Ali aimlessly roaming about the store at the corner of her eye. Occasionally he would steal glances at Elsa and slyly averting his gaze as he pretended to survey a book in his hand.

Eventually Elsa picked out Alexander Dumas' "The Count of Monte Cristo" and found a seat in the corner to quietly read. For a second, Elsa thought she heard Ali conversed with the shopkeeper. But she decided to ignore it and continued reading. By then she lost track of Ali as she immersed herself in the story. After an hour of silence, Elsa began to wonder what happened to the prince. So she searched the book store and could not find him anywhere.

Finally she heard a faint whisper coming from behind the counter and in the store's little office. Elsa peered through the open door and witnessed Ali with a book collection of Norwegian folktales by Asbjornsen and Moe in his hand. Next to him sat the old shopkeeper guiding him along as Ali slowly and softly read out loud. Elsa smiled as she realized that Ali seemed like a child learning how to read for the first time.

Then Ali looked up and noticed Elsa. He gave her a sheepish grin and turned to face the old man, "Thank you, Sir. I unfortunately still do not have quite a good grasped of this written language so I appreciate your help and for recommending this book for me." The old man merely smiled and led him out to the front counter. After Ali purchased his book and Elsa's novel, he shook the old man's hand and promised to visit him in the future. As they left the bookstore, the old man waved goodbye and replied that he would be happy to see them again in his shop.

* * *

Elsa and Ali continued to stroll about the streets of Arendelle. Then they noticed some children playing in the snow. It seemed that they were dividing themselves into two teams in preparation for a snowball fight. Finally the last child stood anxiously waiting but neither teams wanted him. The little boy had broken his arm and the cast around it prevented him from throwing properly. As the two team captains argued, the little boy slowly turned away crestfallen.

Suddenly Ali kneeled in front of the little boy and whispered in his ear. The little boy nodded his head in response and wiped his tears away. Then Ali addressed the other children, "Whichever team picks him to join will also get me on their side." Ali then patted the little boy in the back and gave him a wide grin. But the two team captains continued to bicker, now for an entirely different reason. Shaking his head, Ali broke up the fight and said, "To make things fair, the other team gets big sister over there." He gestured towards Elsa who was taken aback by the sudden change of events.

Seeing the number of children with expecting eyes pleading her to play, Elsa gave them a small smile and nodded in response. The children excitedly shouted and eagerly prepared their snow fort for the upcoming snowball fight. As Elsa and Ali separated into their respective teams, Ali whispered to Elsa, "Remember no magic. We are just two regular adults here." Elsa smirked and sarcastically responded, "Yes, just two normal adults playing in the snow with a bunch of children." Ali then beamed at her and replied, "Exactly!"

Perhaps the last time Elsa ever remembered having so much fun was when she was younger and Anna coaxed her to build a snowman with her. She soon became engrossed in the game as she gracefully dodged the onslaught of snowballs and tossed snowball after snowball. Finally she was the last one standing on her side while Ali and the little boy scurried behind their walls to hide. It was a final showdown and the competitive nature of Elsa refused to let her team down, wanting nothing more than a victory.

Deciding to take the aggressive approach, Elsa chucked a non-stop hail of snowballs at the two. Brave little Timmy, despite his broken right arm, stood up from the safety of their fort and tried his best to throw a snowball with his left hand. Elsa watched in surprise as a snowball aimed at little Timmy was intercepted by Ali, sacrificing himself in the process. As Ali crashed to the ground, he gave little Timmy words of encouragement. With his left arm, little Timmy launched a snowball as hard as he could.

But the snowball sailed on past Elsa's head and smacked the back of a street vendor. The large man turned and scowled at them. One of the children screamed, "Run!" And so they all scattered away. As they separated ways, Ali hastily told little Timmy goodbye and that they should play again someday before little Timmy sprinted home and Ali scrambled behind Elsa.

Finally after running away for blocks, Elsa and Ali rested against the wall. At first Elsa softly giggled, but as she recalled the events moments ago, she laughed out loud as she clutched her side with one hand while the other covered her mouth. Ali sheepishly grinned and chuckled, happy to hear Elsa laugh and enjoy herself.

* * *

Then they proceeded through the town exploring the shops, including one selling chocolates. They decided to taste the shop's new chocolate flavors and even bought some for Anna. Next, Ali led them to a particular place and Elsa crossed her arms, giving Ali a disapproving look. But Ali protested, "Come on, Elsa. This is the one place that nobody would ever expect a queen to be. This might be your one and only chance." Elsa sighed and reluctantly followed Ali inside a local tavern.

Glancing around The Fiddler's Green, Elsa relaxed a bit at the tavern's low occupancy. She realized that the sun had hardly set and hopefully any troublemakers would not be out yet. Ali approached the counter and asked the barkeep for two glasses of ale. He then proceeded to converse with the bartender explaining how they were brother and sister who happened to be traveling home from a cousin's wedding in Corona.

Elsa gingerly sipped her drink while Ali took a large swig of his. As he set his glass down, Ali then inquired the bartender about Arendelle's queen and how the people feel about a queen with magical powers. Elsa raised her eyebrow at Ali but remained silent, curious to hear the bartender's response.

The bartender continued to polish the glasses as he talked, "The royal family was quite a mystery many years ago when the previous king closed the palace doors. There were rumors certainly but nobody really knew what caused the sudden isolation. We finally met one of the princesses at the former king and queen's funeral, but the eldest one remained aloof. So you must understand the anxiety and excitement we felt at the day of the queen's coronation. We were not sure what to expect from this new queen. "

Putting the glass down, the bartender wiped down the counter as he continued, "Then the secret of her powers was soon discovered. At the time we were horrified and terrified as the winter summer persisted. In such uncertain times, there was unrest among the people. But when the queen learned to control her powers and kept the castle gates open, we came to respect and admire Queen Elsa and Princess Anna."

Then the bartender turned towards Elsa and stated, "There is nobody here in Arendelle that would not gladly lay down their life in service to you, Your Highness." The bartender smirked at the evident shocked faces of Ali and Elsa. He then chuckled, "Did you really think that we would not notice? The people of Arendelle love their queen, especially one with such beauty and grace. Your presence, Queen Elsa, in of itself demands respect and reverence." Ali raised his glass to that and then the bartender left the two alone to enjoy the rest of their drink.

* * *

Elsa and Ali leaned on each other as they staggered back to the castle. Perhaps they had let things go too far but at the time they were having too much fun to care. As more people trickled into the tavern, they amicably greeted the queen and prince, delighted to see that even royalty enjoy a nice pint. Some brave young men even offered Elsa a drink, the magnitude of which overwhelmed her. So Ali diverted their attention and challenged them in bouts of drinking games. Eventually they ended the night after caroling along in an inharmonious tune. Saying farewell to their new-found pub friends, Elsa and Ali headed out and hoped to return in time for dinner.

As they neared the castle, Ali in his drunken stupor slurred out, "You know, Elsa. I am really jealous of you. Arendelle is a beautiful kingdom and the people love you. Even though you are different, they accepted your powers and have come to adore you for it. I cannot say the same for me." Confounded Elsa tried to probe Ali more on the subject, but he remained silent. Suddenly one of Ali's guards, Faddei, pulled him away from Elsa. He apologized to the queen for the prince's behavior and they went their separate ways.

* * *

**AN: **Yay, I cranked that one out! One of the reasons why I started this story is because I felt that Elsa was hardly in the movie at all, which is ridiculous if the story revolves around the Snow Queen. I'm glad I get to show her slowly let loose in this chapter. Hopefully I didn't stretch her personality too much. My excuse is that her interaction with Ali is changing her in some way. Anyways let me know what you think and send me a review. See you next week :)


	8. How to Save a Life

**Author's Note**: Yay! I finished this chapter faster than I expected. First of all, I would like to thank Charmi, elsabear, and Desi-Pari-Always who reviewed the last chapter. Also this chapter turned out to be a different chapter than I originally imagined. But this might be a good thing. Be warned that it does get a bit dark later. Anyways enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **Do not own Frozen and the characters, just my original ones.

* * *

Chapter 8: How to Save a Life

Elsa gingerly rubbed her temples, nursing her throbbing headache. These past two days have been a whirlwind of excitement and her mind wondered off to the catalyst that started it all. Prince Ali was like a puzzle. Just when she thought she figured him out he would then suddenly shatter all expectations. Ali was mysterious yet there was something familiar about him like a long lost friend. A smile graced her face as she recalled the day spent with him.

Elsa's breath hitched the moment Ali grabbed her hand to lead her out of the castle. Then a warm tingling sensation propagated throughout her body. She noticed her heart beating faster than normal and felt confused at how a simple touch could set her heart racing. It scared her just how much Ali's mere presence affected her so. But when he let go, she felt her heart drop in disappointment and she wanted nothing more than for his warmth to linger.

Her emotions were as much of a contradiction as the man himself. It seemed that no matter where they went today Ali always made a friend. His amicable personality and his genuine sincerity resonated with everyone, allowing him to connect with both young and old. But his last words haunted her. They conveyed a hidden hurt and sorrow that his jovial appearance covered. She understood more than anyone else exactly what it is like to put on a show and conceal it all in. Elsa hoped that she could reach out to him in some way.

The sudden entrance of Anna and Kristoff to the parlor room interrupted Elsa's musings. They plopped down on the sofa across from her. Exhausted Anna wearily stated, "Elsa, I shall never take your work for granted. If planning and preparing for a festival takes this much effort, then I can only imagine just how exhausting and stressful it is to run an entire kingdom!"

Then Kristoff grumbled, "You finally get to put all that feisty energy to good use." This earned him a punch to the shoulder from Anna. Kristoff exclaimed, "Ouch! That muscle is sore from hauling ice all day for your precious festival." Anna then apologized and massaged his arm.

Soon Prince Ali arrived carrying a tray with cookies, chocolates, and some drinks. He placed the tray down and proceeded to set the four drinks in front of them. Ali said, "Anna and Kristoff, this tea should help with your fatigue and reinvigorate you while this one should relieve your headache, Elsa." After taking a sip from their tea, they felt refreshed and asked Ali where he obtained the teas.

He sipped his own cup of tea before responding, "Well, I had Faddei boil some special herbs for us. He really is the most unconventional bodyguard. Although his employment was met with protests, he has proven himself handy time and time again. But I suppose I need to start from the beginning for you to understand." Then Prince Ali began the tale.

* * *

One night my father ordered me to appease and apologize to a certain vizier in his council. I was quite brash at the previous gathering and offended this specific vizier. He was acting quite rudely and obnoxiously, which made the other guests uncomfortable. Thus I confronted him, which ended up embarrassing the vizier. My father the King knew that it was important to maintain the vizier's loyalty and avoid retaliation for he was one of my father's wealthiest and longest advisors. So he sent me out to join the vizier for dinner and hoped to reconcile the situation.

Dinner proceeded in discomfort as I tried my best to stay courteous and amicable. But this proved difficult as the obnoxious vizier continued in his merry-making, slapping the slave girls' ass and guzzling down food and wine. All I could do was give the women apologetic looks. Finally when I had enough, I stood up and attempted to excuse myself from the dinner party. The vizier stopped me and asked that I have one more drink with him. He said he procured this special wine for the occasion.

Relenting, I sat down and accepted the chalice of wine. I sipped the wine while the vizier downed the entire cup in one gulped. Suddenly the vizier collapsed and I felt his pulse, thinking that he was merely drunk. But I felt none and immediately asked for the doctor. Then I noticed the vizier's eyes turned blood red and I realized that the wine had been poisoned. As I turned to inquire about the wine to the servant who delivered it, the servant bolted out the door and I decided to chase after him.

Exiting out of the dining hall, I shouted at the perpetrator to stop and commanded Takeshi and Zuberi to capture him. We chased him out the vizier's house and eventually cornered him at a dark alley. As we slowly closed in, I advised the servant that it would be best to surrender peacefully. But he resisted and hurled several knives in our direction. Takeshi and Zuberi masterfully deflected the knives with their swords while I barely dodged the onslaught as a knife nicked my arm. Then the servant slipped through a hidden trap door and so we followed after him.

To our surprise we discovered a hidden botanical laboratory underground. The room housed plants of all types including exotic ones that I have never seen before. Several instruments such as mortars and pestles scattered throughout the room. Shuffling noises alerted me of the servant escaping. So I shouted and threatened that I would burn the room to the ground as I held up a paper ball filled with gunpowder.

The servant slowly revealed himself and surrendered with his hands up in the air. Quickly Takeshi and Zuberi seized him and cuffed his hands. Then I approached the servant and questioned him, "What is your name? Why are you after the vizier?" The servant responded, "My name is Faddei and I am a hired assassin. Someone approached me today and paid me to kill the vizier and frame you in the process."

Shocked I interrogated, "Who hired you? Was the poison your own concoction and can you make an antidote?" Cooperating Faddei confessed, "I do not know who hired me as it is part of my policy to maintain secrecy. Through some elaborate network, I obtained a note about the job this morning as well as five hundred dinars in payment. And yes, the poison is my own invention. It will take several days to make the antidote. I doubt it will help the vizier, but there is still time for you, Prince Ali."

Confused by his statement, I urged him to elaborate. Faddei explained, "The vizier ingest a large amount of the poison and thus it is too late to save him. But you on the other hand, Prince Ali, only sip the wine. In small doses the poison shall not pose a threat, but the additional poison from my knives may prove lethal. I am not sure how those two different poisons will interact. So if you do not burn down my lab and grant me pardon, then I will create that antidote for you."

Alarmed I stared at the small cut on my arm and observed black veins emitting from the wound. I sighed in frustration and agreed. So I commanded Takeshi and Zuberi to let Faddei go and supervise him as he scrambled about his workplace. For a few hours I watched in fascination as Faddei proceeded to mix various plants and seeds. But then I felt dizzy and my vision turned foggy. I collapsed on the ground and blacked out.

* * *

Then I woke up startled and glanced around in panic. I found myself back in my room at the palace. Takeshi approached me and handed me a glass of water to drink. After I calmed down, I asked him what happened since. So he related the following to me, "My lord, you have been out with a fever for the past month. Two weeks ago the mercenary Faddei completed the antidote and started you on a daily dose. You finally broke out of your fever last night." Then he gave me a big smile and a pat on my shoulder as he said, "I am glad to see you back with the living, my lord. The entire palace has been worried sick about you."

Giving him a weak smile, I thanked him and asked him about Faddei. Takeshi answered, "The King has held him prisoner in the palace dungeon. His execution has been delayed until your recovery, my lord. But I suppose now that you are well the King will commence with his punishment." I frowned and ordered Takeshi to send for Faddei before relating news of my recovery to the rest of my family. So Takeshi left and an hour later came back with Zuberi as they escorted Faddei to my room in shackles.

Feeling upset, I commanded that the shackles be taken off. The man after all saved my life when he could have easily left me for death. I thanked him, apologized for the poor treatment, and promised that I would persuade my father the King to retract his punishment. At that moment my father and the rest of the family rushed in. But then upon seeing Faddei, my father became upset and demanded why the prisoner was in my room and without shackles.

Immediately I sat straight up in bed and appealed to my father on Faddei's behalf, "Please, father, do not be upset. I asked for this man here. He saved my life and felt compelled to help him in return. Father, I entreat that you reconsider his sentence for I gave him my word that he will be granted pardon for saving me. Plus he will be more useful to us alive." Although he felt conflicted, my father the King decided to hear me out. So I proceeded to explain what Faddei related to me before and suggested the possibility of a conspiracy against the throne. If this was so, then Faddei would be our only connection to the underworld, hopefully uncovering the true perpetrators.

Then I proposed that I, along with Faddei, set out to find the conspirators. My family and my guards protested against my suggestion, but I remained stubborn and held fast to my position. Eventually my father gave his consent and tasked that I take responsibility for the prisoner. In the next six months, Faddei, Takeshi, Zuberi, and I scouted the streets of the kingdom in disguise. We discovered that the deceased vizier was a co-conspirator and had a falling out with his secret cult. They tried to kill two birds with one stone by killing the vizier and framing me for his death to cause chaos in the palace. Unfortunately the trail ran cold and we were unable to discover the true identity of any more members of the secret cult.

By then Faddei had gained my trust as he had saved me from danger multiple times, even putting his own self in harm's way, during our investigation. I offered him a permanent position as my bodyguard and even expressed my interest in learning his art in herbs and medicine. He agreed but with set conditions. He asked for a week off every month and proceeded to bargain for his weekly salary. After coming into agreement about his salary, I inquired about his condition to have a week off every month. Faddei then related to me his tale.

* * *

Prince Ali, I grew up in the blistering cold country of Russia. Life was harsh as food and resources were scarce. My single mother tried her best to raise and provide for my younger brother, little sister, and me. But there were hardly any options for women and so she succumbed to prostitution. Every night strange men whisked her away to bed and as the oldest I tried my best to care for and distract my younger siblings from the noises coming from my mother's room.

Then one night I heard a loud crash in my mother's room followed by her hysterical scream. Immediately I realized something was wrong at least more so than normal. I dashed in her room and found the man abusing my mother and whipping her with his belt. He proceeded to curse at her, demanding his money back. Angered at the man and afraid for my mother, I hurled the closest thing to me, which was a flower vase. Then I charged and jumped on the man, beating his face with my fist.

Suddenly he catapulted me across the room. The impact knocked the wind out of me. Then I watched in fright as he towered over me and raised his arm to strike. Immediately my mother leaped between us and begged for my life. She gave him his money back and the man grunted in response. He grabbed his things and left after saying how children were bad for her business. With my head down, I asked my mom for forgiveness but she just embraced me crying. That night my siblings and I slept together in the same bed with my mother for the first and last time.

The next day my mother left us at park and promised to come back later after job hunting. But she never returned that night or the next. For three days we waited patiently for her until hunger gnawed our stomachs. Then I suddenly remembered the man's last words and I realized that she had abandoned us. Thus my siblings and I became orphans who scrapped for any morsel of food. I begged, lied, and cheated just to survive and provide for my siblings. It seemed that we would continue our miserable lives that way until I met the man that would change my life forever.

One night I witnessed a man slit another man's throat in a dark alley. I gasped in shock as the killer turned to face me. When he noticed my rags and skeleton frame, he felt pity for me and gave me a loaf of bread and some coins. He asked that I keep silent about his job. Suddenly some patrol guards passed by and upon seeing the gruesome scene before them attempted to arrest the man. The man sprinted away and I helped him as I pushed trash cans over to slow the guards down. He thanked me before disappearing into the crowd.

This encounter preoccupied my mind for several days and nights after. I wanted his strength and sense of agency, wishing to end my dreaded life in the street. He was a powerful enigma that I started aspiring to become. So I asked about him around town, hoping to catch him somehow. I found out that he was a mercenary paid to do a lot of the corrupt officials' dirty work. Thus it became my mission to find him and ask him to mentor me.

When I finally came across him, I begged him to take me in as an apprentice. He dismissed me at first but I was adamant and stubbornly followed him all day. Finally he gave in and expressed his surprise at how well I kept up with him. Then he asked me if I was willing to leave and give up everything in my life, because only then would I be able to follow in his footsteps. I nodded in response and reaffirmed my resolve thus started my life as mercenary.

* * *

The man taught me the art of stealth, deadly and efficient kills, and extracting poison from plants. Soon I became engrossed in this new lifestyle, especially after killing that despicable man who hit my mother. I happily reaped the wealth I earned from my odd jobs and even relished when I disposed of treacherous men. I felt like I was purging the world of evil.

But when I ventured out with this man, I failed to remember my brother and sister who I left behind. Feeling guilty, I always made sure to visit any orphanage I come across with. Some part of me wished that I would find them there, but knowing how harsh this world could be, it seemed quite impossible. To atone for my neglect and sins, I would pay random orphanages visits, volunteer my time, and even provide monetary donations. Perhaps I hoped I can eventually be forgiven someday so that I may see my siblings again.

Moved by his story, I granted Faddei his monthly week off and even doubled his salary. I even promised to help him find his brother and sister. Whenever possible I joined Faddei's search and even volunteered to care for the children at the orphanages. He opened my eyes to sufferings of this world and that I was in a position to make it better. I expressed my gratitude to Faddei for enlightening me. But he shook his head and said, "No, my prince. It is you whom I should be thankful for. You have given me a new lease in life and I will humbly follow someone like you to the ends of the earth."

* * *

**AN:** **That was some heavy stuff! But I always pictured Faddei to be such a complex character anyways. I was just surprised that I went with this route just because I played around with his story a lot. Let me know what you think about this chapter (or the story thus far) and send me a review. See you next week :) **


	9. New Year's Festival and Ball

**Author's Note:** Sorry for the late update. It's been a busy week, which only worsened when I became sick with a cold (sadly still recovering). This made it difficult to find time to get some quality writing done. Also thanks for the reviews. I wanted to response to a few here.

**Desi-Pari Always**: Thanks, your words are always encouraging. It's nice to know that someone is understanding my intentions behind the writing.

**elsabear**: Are you a mind reader?! Lol, you practically predicted this chapter.

**Charmi**: You have a very valid point. Honestly, it did not cross my mind. I guess I wanted the stories to be open for interpretation. Unfortunately, I am not sure how I can incorporate your suggestion into the current plot development. So most likely, I will address it in a future chapter.

Again, thanks to all of you who reviewed and continue to follow and read this story. Please enjoy this installment :)

**Disclaimer: Do not own Frozen and the characters, just the original ones.**

* * *

Chapter 9: New Year's Festival and Ball

"Elsa! Elsa, wake up!" Grumbling Elsa buried her head deeper into her pillow and pulled the covers over her head, hoping to tune out the noise. "Elsa, I said wake up!" Suddenly Elsa tumbled off her bed and crashed on the floor as someone pulled her covers off. Exasperated Elsa sat up straight and glared at the person who rudely interrupted her sleep.

Anna gave her an apologetic look before turning serious and said, "Sorry, Elsa, but if I don't wake you up then we will be behind schedule." Elsa huffed and murmured some incoherent words under her breath before slowly standing up. She was surprised to see that, not only was Anna up before her, she was already dressed. Anna wore her favorite green dress and tied her hair tightly in a neat bun with a ribbon.

Then Anna exclaimed as she glanced at her little notebook planner, "Elsa, you have twenty minutes to get dress otherwise you won't have time for brunch." So Anna rang for Elsa's personal maid, Gerda, and instructed her to help Elsa prepare for the day. Quickly with Gerda's help, Elsa freshened up and dressed into her dress of royal purple with light green accents and a magenta cape clasped by a large round pin with the royal family insignia. Her hair similar to Anna was also pulled tightly into an elaborate bun.

Immediately Anna led Elsa out of her bedroom to the family private dining room for a quick brunch. Anna then excitedly briefed Elsa about the day's plan as Elsa slowly munched on her sandwich. But the words coming out of Anna's mouth escaped Elsa's ears for she was still recovering from last night. Elsa barely had time to finish her coffee as Anna whisked her away and guided her to the balcony facing the castle courtyard. Finally noticing what was going on around her, Elsa blinked as she nervously stared out to the crowd and gave them a weak smile.

Behind her she heard Anna whisper for her to look down. Surprised she realized a written speech she drafted last week was in her hand. Then Elsa cleared her throat and addressed the crowd, "Welcome to our first annual New Year's Festival! This festival is to honor you, the good people of Arendelle. It has been an eventful year with my coronation and the accidental winter summer. You all have sincerely welcomed me as queen and have patiently worked with me to overcome the setbacks caused by the Freeze. Thanks to your undying support we have successfully pulled the kingdom back into stability. I am truly honored and grateful to be the queen of a wonderful kingdom with such kind-hearted people."

Elsa paused as some shouts from the crowd responded in kind and reciprocated her appreciation. This made Elsa beam in delight as she continued, "As we celebrate the end of the year and usher in the new one, please give enjoy the festival to the fullest for it is well deserved. Here's to a prosperous and glorious upcoming year for Arendelle!" The crowd cheered as she finished her speech. Then Elsa smiled as she noticed a footnote at the end of her paper, "Perform a fancy display with magic to awe them."

Clearly this footnote was Anna's handiwork. Obliging Elsa raised her arm up as a stream of snow swirled around in the air. Then with a flick of her wrist, the snowflakes arrange themselves to paint the Arendelle's royal insignia. The symbol remained momentarily in the sky before slowly sprinkling down upon the crowd as the image dissipated. Next with a stomp of her foot Elsa froze the courtyard, turning it into an ice skating rink. Elsa briefly waved to the cheering crowd before leaving the balcony. Then she heard music playing as the people started the festivity.

* * *

Thanks to Anna acting as her personal assistant, Elsa enjoyed the festival immensely. She freely interacted and greeted the people as she strolled around with Anna at the helm directing her where she is expected to be. At the moment, Elsa along with Kristoff and a council member were judging the ice sculpture event as well as the snowman contest for the children with Olaf as the head judge. Later she enjoyed a nice cup of hot chocolate as she watched a traveling troupe act out one her favorite local fairytales, "East of the Sun and West of the Moon." After the heroine saved the day and the curtain closed to mark the end of the play, Elsa jumped up in delight, clapping and asking for an encore along with the crowd. Finally she prepared to greet the local lords and ladies, and even some foreign dignitaries for the evening ball in the castle.

Elsa smiled politely and courteously welcomed each guest as Kai announced them. When she greeted the last foreign lord, Elsa began searching for a more familiar face. Eventually she spotted Anna and Kristoff conversing with someone. As she approached them, Elsa cleared her throat and the stranger immediately turned to face her. Surprised Elsa scrutinized the stranger in disbelief as she realized that the man was Prince Ali. He wore a military uniform that looked vaguely familiar. His face cleanly shaved and his haircut shortened, slicked back, and parted at the side.

Anna broke her thoughts, "So Elsa, what do you think? Doesn't he look like a splitting image of Papa? Well if Papa had black hair, no moustache, and was years younger…" Anna shrugged, "You get the picture. Otherwise Ali looks just like him. The haircut was my suggestion and I lent him the uniform to wear. " Nervously Ali asked as he shakily combed his hair back, "Does it look bad?" Elsa blinked as she replied, "No… just pleasantly surprised is all."

Chuckling Kristoff elbowed Ali and teased, "She hesitated, though I have to agree. We look ridiculous in these stiff military uniforms." Likewise Kristoff appeared constricted and awkwardly wiggled in his formal wear. But Anna assured him that he looked positively handsome in a uniform. Then she dragged a reluctantly Kristoff to the dance floor. Elsa lightly giggled as she watched an excitable Anna teach an uneasy Kristoff the fine points in ballroom dancing.

* * *

Next to her Ali cleared his throat and inquired, "Would her majesty care for a dance?" Giving him an apologetic look Elsa stated, "Sorry, I don't dance." Deflated Ali sighed, "That's a shame. I guess I took that dance lesson for nothing today." Elsa raised an eyebrow at him and said, "Is that why you were practically missing all day?" Shrugging Ali replied, "Yes, among other things. I have a surprise for later up my sleeves, your Highness." Ali gave her a playful smirk and Elsa in response sent him an inquisitive look.

But Ali evaded her questions and continued, "Besides, I had the impression that royalty in this part of the world all knew how to dance. Did you not cover dancing in your lessons as a youth?" Pensively, Elsa rubbed her arm out of habit and sighed, "Sadly, no. I was very much afraid of hurting someone with my powers and avoided any possible physical contact. And so I have never learned how to dance." Grinning from ear to ear, Ali encouraged, "Well, it is never too late to learn something new. They say there's no greater teacher than experience." Elsa witnessed a mischievous glint in his eyes and she suddenly felt apprehensive. But by then Ali had successfully pulled a shocked Elsa in the middle of the dance floor.

Ali bowed and Elsa reluctantly curtsied in return. As Ali narrowed the distance between them, he guided Elsa to assume the proper posture for the waltz. Elsa looked down to hide the evident blush caused by their close proximity. But Ali lifted her chin to make eye contact and gave her an assuring smile before proceeding to count the rhythm. Shakily Elsa stumbled to follow the rhythm as Ali softly counted them out. This proved unsuccessfully as Elsa remained utterly stiff, which caused them to bump into another dancing couple. Immediately Elsa apologized and hurried off the floor.

But Ali stopped her and said, "Wait, Elsa. Give it another try, but this time feel the music. Dancing is after all a form of artistic expression. If it helps, pretend that there's nobody else around. Let the rhythm of the music take you over and guide your moves." Reluctantly Elsa decided to give dancing another chance and once again assumed their waltzing posture. Following Ali's advice, Elsa tuned the crowd out and pictured them alone in the ballroom. She glanced up and found herself mesmerized by his tender gaze. His beaming smile set her at ease and eventually she relaxed into his secure hold. Then a contented grin graced her face as they gracefully glided along to the music.

* * *

The end of the song jolted Elsa out of her fantasy. She concealed her disappointment as she curtsied to return Ali's deep bow. Offering his arm, Ali asked, "Would you like to get some fresh air? I certainly need some." Elsa nodded in response and a shy smile etched her face as she gingerly wrapped an arm around Ali's. Then Ali guided them out to the balcony overlooking the fjords. Once outside, Ali released his hold to lean forward against the rail while Elsa gently placed her hands over them. They shared a moment of silence as they enjoyed the moonlight view.

Glancing at Elsa, Ali praised, "You should have seen yourself at the dance floor. Everyone was utterly mesmerized by you. It appeared that you were a seasoned veteran rather than a first time dancer." Elsa smirked and replied, "Well, I had a very good teacher." Ali grinned in return and teasingly boasted, "I suppose I deserve some credit. That was a day's worth of mastery after all." This made Elsa roll her eyes and chuckle in response.

Looking back across the fjords, Ali began to ask, "Any hopes or dreams for the New Year, Elsa?" Contemplating for a moment before replying, Elsa stated, "Certainly a prosperous one for the kingdom. I hope I can be the kind and strong ruler Arendelle deserves. Someone my parents can be proud of. Then of course, making up for those bonding years lost with Anna. But most of all, I wish for Anna's happiness. She saved me from myself and thanks to her I am no longer alone. I have Anna, Olaf, Kristoff, and even Sven as family and I really cannot ask for more. What about you, Ali?"

A small smile escaped his lips as Ali pondered out loud, "If we resolve our kingdom's drought problem, then I would love the chance to travel around the world. This is the first time I have been outside of Persia's realm. So far I am amazed by the world and its wonders. I feel that there is so much to see and experience. They are just waiting for me to discover them. That's the one perk about being the third son, I suppose. No kingdom-binding responsibilities to tie me down. Ruling a kingdom takes true strength, dedication, and heart; qualities without a doubt you posses, Elsa." Touched by his words, Elsa gave him an appreciative smile and Ali sheepishly grinned back.

* * *

Their moment was interrupted as Anna and Kristoff joined the two on the balcony. Anna immediately enclosed Elsa in a hug before pulling away to exclaim, "Elsa, when did you learn to dance like that? You were so graceful… I mean you are always graceful, being the queen and all." Elsa giggled and responded, "Thank you, Anna and by the way excellent job with the festival and ball." Shrugging Anna replied, "I guess I have a natural gift for party planning. Besides we have one more surprise waiting, isn't that right, Ali?" Elsa witnessed Anna give Ali a wink, which made her more curious about this supposed surprise.

Before Elsa had a chance to probe the two any further, Kristoff interrupted, "Twenty seconds till midnight." Anna then started the countdown as Kristoff and Ali joined in. Smiling Elsa chanted along with them. As midnight struck, the town clock tower chimed to signal the New Year. Then, to Elsa's surprise, fireworks lighted up the fjords, creating colorful luminescent glow across the frozen water. Scanning the horizon, Elsa noticed Ali's three bodyguards at the pier, lighting up and sending more fireworks up in the air.

At the corner of her eye, Elsa observed Anna and Kristoff share a short and sweet passionate kiss. Then Kristoff embraced Anna from behind while she leaned against him as they enjoyed the fireworks display. Turning to face Ali, Elsa thanked him saying, "What a wonderful surprise! Thank you. I cannot think of any other way to end the night." Taking her hand with his, Ali planted a soft kiss on Elsa's hand before replying, "No, thank you, Elsa. I will look back to my time here in Arendelle with great fondness." As more fireworks ignited the night sky, they continued to cherish the view hand in hand.

* * *

**AN: Sorry this chapter was not as lengthy as the others. The cold took its toll on my power of concentration. Also as I wrap up the Arendelle arc, I am open to any suggestions regarding the journey part of the story. I have a few things in mind, but would be happy to get your input. I'll make sure to credit you for your idea if I end up using it. So send me a review, sharing your suggestions and/or ****letting me know what of you think about the story so far**. Anyways I hope you enjoyed this chapter. See you next week :)


	10. The Princess and the Samurai

**Author's Note**: I felt bad about the late update and short last chapter so I wanted to post this chapter as soon as possible. Honestly this is my most ambitious one and I think it is also the longest chapter I've written so far. Anyways I hope you enjoy it.

**Disclaimer**: Do not own Frozen and the characters, just the original ones.

* * *

Chapter 10: The Princess and the Samurai

The night winded down as the fireworks ended and the guest began to leave. But before they retired to their beds, the four made their way back to the castle parlor as they have done nights prior.

A nervous Prince Ali closed his eyes to recollect his thoughts. He hoped he could tell this tale without emotionally breaking down. Although he felt uneasy relating this personal story, he understood that he must bear his heart out if he ever hopes to gain their trust.

Anxiously Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff waited for the young prince to speak. Sighing, Prince Ali shakily combed his hair back before proceeding with the tale.

* * *

I have known Takeshi my entire life, although he originally was not one of my personal guards. Thus anything I know about Takeshi's life prior was through second-hand account mainly from the former Princess Mizuki of Japan, who then became the second-wife to the King of Persia, and later better known to me as mother or "Okaa-sama" as she always insisted me to call her. For my mother, maintaining as much of her culture was of utmost importance and thus made sure that I was familiar with my Japanese heritage.

So every night as a young boy when I crawled to bed, my mother would tuck me in and tell me a story. Her stories ranged from Japanese fairytales she heard growing up to her little misadventures and life in the Imperial palace as princess of Japan. For a bed-ridden sick child like me, these story times were all I could look forward to at the end of the day. Perhaps this was how my fondness of storytelling blossomed for every time I share a story I am reminded of these pleasant moments with my mother. I felt that through storytelling I am honoring her memory in some way.

* * *

Then suddenly Prince Ali turned silent. Elsa noticed a weak smile crept up Ali's face as he recounted bitter-sweet memories. A glint of sadness swept his eyes and Elsa felt her heart reach out to him. Gently grabbing hold of his hand, Elsa empathetically glanced at him and gave his hand a comforting squeeze. This broke the prince out of his trance and he sent a grateful smile towards Elsa's direction. Taking a deep breath, Ali slowly released a sigh and regained his composure to continue the tale.

* * *

One night I anxiously waited for my mother to come in and tell me one of her stories but she never came. This continued on for several nights until one night when Takeshi barged through my room. He explained that a sudden fever plagued my mother for several days before it that took a turn to the worst that day. No matter what medications the doctors and herbalist conjured up, the fever persisted and weakened her body over time.

Bending down to glance at me within eye level, Takeshi proclaimed, "Young lord, I am not sure how much time your mother has left. But she requested for you at her bed chambers. I urged you to make haste and to prepare yourself for the sight that awaits you." Springing immediately out of bed I rushed to my mother's room. With some help from Takeshi, I managed to arrive at her room quickly but I froze upon opening the door.

What I saw was a ghost of my mother. The moonlight, which normally accentuates her radiance and natural beauty, only served to illuminate how the sickness sapped her youthful complexion and graceful essence. My mother beckoned me to come closer and patted the spot next to her. Climbing on her bed to join her, I observed how her skin ghastly paled and her cheeks hollowed.

I failed to realize that tears rolled down my cheeks. My mother reached to wipe them away and proceeded to comfort me, "Hush, my son. Do not cry for you must not show your grief. Bear my death with strength and acceptance. I cannot be peacefully liberated from this world if the last thing I see is my only son's crying face."

Trying my best to put a brave face, I snuggled closer into her embrace as my mother placed a comforting arm around me. Then my mother gave me a loving glance and said, "My son, I must tell you one last story before my spirit leaves this world to the world beyond the living." Closing my eyes I nodded and allowed her soothing voice over take me as she told her story.

* * *

There once was a princess, the youngest daughter of the Emperor of Japan. Her beauty was more radiant than the moon and the stars combined. She was a highly educated woman with eloquence that no other can match. Words of this legendary princess spread far and wide, bringing young nobles and princes who were seeking her hand in marriage to Japan.

But the Emperor was most fond of his youngest daughter, spoiling her and catering to her every need. Afraid to be parted from his lovely daughter, he rejected every marriage proposal. No matter how grand the offers were. These nobles and princes always left disappointed for they were not even allowed a glance at the princess. Thus for many years, the princess lived in near seclusion at the Imperial Palace as her father sheltered her beauty and grace away from the outside world.

The princess quietly resigned to her lonely life for she loved her father and wished not to upset him. Until one night she laid wide awake in her bed, tossing and turning, but sleep eluded her like a slithering snake. She then heard two voices outside her door, one she recognized as the head of her royal guards of samurais, Captain Mitsuguri, and the other an unfamiliar refreshingly new young voice. The princess leaned her ear against the door, hoping to decipher their conversation.

She heard her head guard say, "Listen well, Takeshi. Stay alert and do not let your mind wander. Although you may be hailed as a prodigy of the sword, you are still young and naïve. Be vigilant for it is a great honor to protect and serve the young princess." Then she heard footsteps fading away, leaving only the silhouette of the young samurai on her screen door.

Not sure what strange force compelled her to do so, but the princess called out to the young samurai. She observed the shadow flinched and turned around to face her. Then the shadow bowed and asked, "Forgive me, Princess. I hope I did not disturb your sleep." A small smile crept up the princess face as she responded, "No apology is warranted for I have not been able to sleep a wink this night. Would you please keep me company and converse with me to while the night away?"

After a long pause, she heard him reply, "As you wish, Princess." From that night on, the samurai kept the princess company as they converse through the screen door. The princess never felt lonely again and every night she looked forward to her time with the young samurai. As they exchanged stories, she learned about life outside the castle and even about his sad past. The young samurai related this story to her.

* * *

As a young boy, I lost in my family in a terrible raid gone wrong and I was the only one left in the village. Feeling helpless, I stood frozen in shock as I watch the fire burn. I vaguely remembered standing in the middle of the village square as I witnessed these scenes unfold before my eyes. One after another, a store or a house was set a blazed as the raiders pillaged and killed any by-stander in their way.

I turned as I heard a scream at my left. The old baker, who would kindly give me the day's leftover bread to eat whenever I hungrily begged for food, glanced down surprised to see a sword impaled through his heart. He weakly smiled as he realized that his moment has come.

Then a shriek to my right alerted me to another and I witnessed my old childhood friend, Akiko, desperately crawling away from her assailant. The man menacingly grinned as he hacked down left and right at the helpless girl below him. With outstretched hand, Akiko pleadingly glanced at me but I remained frozen in my spot unable to move much less come to her rescue.

Suddenly thundering hooves reached my ears and I looked up front to see a man riding a horse and yielding a sword above his head, heading towards me. Perturbed I stayed unmoved and waited for death to come. But it never came for at the corner of my eye I saw a fluttering sleeve of a kimono. My mother embraced to protect me and I watched in utter horror as the man slashed her back. The blood splatter on my face finally shook me out of my dazed.

Tears streamed down my face as my mother's corpse collapsed before me. I angrily picked up a stone and hurled it at the man, knocking him off his horse. Then I scrambled to pick up his dropped sword and I entered a raging trance as I blindly slashed left and right. The man carefully dodged my attacks, but I continued my onslaught, hell bent on revenge. Finally the man dropped to his knees and I glanced up thinking I struck him.

To my surprise, I saw the Captain, then Lieutenant Mitsuguri, with his sword through the man's heart. The royal guards have arrived to chase the raiders away much too late. Bending down to look at me, the Lieutenant apologized, "I am sorry we came too late. Do you know where your closest relative lives? I promise to take you there safely. It is the least I can do after all the troubles you went through." I shook my head and sent the lieutenant a steely glare.

Then I demanded, "No, I want you to teach me how to fight. I never want to feel that helpless and powerless again. Never will stand by and let my loves one, family and friends, die before my eyes. Take me in as your apprentice." Reluctantly the lieutenant took me in and trained me. Since then I dedicated my life to my training. I spent day in and out relentlessly mastering the art of the sword and adhering to Captain Mitsuguri's strict discipline. They say I am a prodigy but I say I am a haunted man repenting for his weakness.

* * *

The young samurai turned silent as guilt shadowed his face. Then the samurai gasped as two slender arms reached behind to pull him into a hug. The princess cried tears of sympathy for the samurai. She then comforted him, "You are not at fault. Those treacherous raiders are the ones to blame, so please do not put blame on yourself. You were a mere child and there was nothing you could do." For a moment of silence, the samurai remained still in the princess's embrace.

Then the young samurai turned around to be awestruck at the princess' elegance and beauty. Likewise the princess found the samurai surprisingly handsome unlike the other gruff guards in her father's service. Shyly both turned away and before the two could say a word, a loud bang echoed through the halls of the palace. Immediately on high alert the samurai stood up with his sword drawn.

Suddenly a group of foreign invaders sprinted down the halls. Takeshi shouted for the princess to run as he sprang into action, his blade clashing upon waves and waves of attacks. But the princess failed to escape as another group of invaders trapped her down the other end of the hall. The kidnappers whisked the princess away with a bag over her head and the young samurai watched helplessly as he attempted to plow through the increasing number of attackers in vain.

It felt like weeks passed though the princess was not sure. Her capturers kept her blind-folded the entire trip, not even removing the blindfold for her to eat properly. Rather they hand-fed her morsels of food and at first she resisted, but eventually necessity won over as she munched on the piece of bread and drank the water offered to her. Faintly she heard the rolling waves of the sea at one point and some whispers in a foreign language she could not decipher. They dragged her along and forced her to sit down.

Finally her capturers removed her blindfold and she found herself in a marvelous palace of emerald and gold. Ladies scrambled around to dress, comb her hair, or applied on make-up. Within minutes she was looking her best and immediately guards entered to usher her out the room. The guards led the princess into a great hall and up front a middle-aged man sat on the throne with a smug grin.

The man stood up as the princess neared the throne. Then he exclaimed, "Welcome Princess Mizuki! I am King Zhou of China. Forgive me for that abrupt trip across the sea. Your father is such a stubborn man and would not allow me a glimpse of you. But I just have to see you and I always get what I want." The king's menacing grin sent shivers down the princess's spine. He offered her gestures of peace and threw a party in her name. But she was not fooled and kept a straight face the entire time.

Whenever the king tried to make advances, she would insist to pour him wine or grab the lute to sing him a song. For many days and nights, the princess cleverly kept the king at bay until one night the king enraged locked her up alone with him in a room. The princess resisted to the best of her ability but the king overpowered her, pinning her down. All the while the princess thought back to the nights she spent with the young samurai, wishing she savored such taste sweet and innocent moments more.

* * *

Suddenly she heard a thump and the king fell over unconscious. A cloaked figure hovered over them. Before the princess let out a scream, the stranger pulled his hood down and revealed himself to be none other than Takeshi. The princess felt ecstatic and relieved to see a familiar face so she instinctively clutched against the young samurai's chest. Then after giving the princess a reassuring pat on the back, Takeshi urgently pulled to guide the princess out of the palace. He explained that he along with a small group of samurais have quietly infiltrated the palace. They secretly disguised themselves as servants when a visiting king paraded in.

Eventually they regrouped with the others and made their way to the palace walls. Unfortunately their luck ran out as a nightly patrol spotted the group and alerted the entire palace. Archers up the parapets launched a hail of arrows. Immediately Takeshi stood in front of the princess and skillfully deflected the arrows. But the others fared poorly, leaving only Takeshi and the princess alone. Soon some foot soldiers arrived in the scene and surround the two. Takeshi made a move to attack, but a tugged at his sleeve stopped him. The princess gave the samurai a pleading look and shook her head. Resigning Takeshi dropped his sword and peacefully surrendered.

The two were dragged back in and an enraged Chinese king awaited them in front of his throne. King Zhou sentenced the two to death, declaring that the princess was more trouble than her beauty was worth. But before the guards pulled them away, a figured stepped up at the King's left. The man stopped the guards and turned to face the king, "King Zhou, would you let me buy their freedom? Give them to me and I will consent to our trade agreement." The fuming King calmed down and pondered the young man's proposition. Eventually the king agreed and after the young man signed the contract, the princess and the samurai left with him.

Once outside the palace walls, the young man introduced himself as King Baraz of Persia. He then gravely explained, "You are free to go, Princess. Though I am not sure you should go back to Japan. After the Chinese assault, some local lords easily over took the palace. The Emperor too consumed by his grief over your loss failed to fend off the rebellion. I'm afraid no one in your family survived."

Then the young king flashed the princess a beaming smile, "But if you have no place to go, then I would be happy to extend an invitation for you to stay at my palace. I would be honored to have your company for as they say the more the merrier." Unable to think of another alternative, the princess accepted the king's invitation and along with the samurai traveled to Persia with the king and his men.

* * *

Stroking my head, my ailing mother said, "That is how I meet your father. For years he let me and Takeshi live freely under the roof of his palace. As his guest, he made sure we were well accommodated and he would even make time to entertain us. Your young father has quite a rambunctious nature and so I immensely enjoyed my new life in the palace, thanks to him. He never asked me or Takeshi for anything, only that we keep each other company whenever possible."

My mother turned solemn before continuing, "But scandalous rumors spread throughout kingdom. Some of the vziers began questioning your father's decision of freely housing me and Takeshi, challenging his authority. Although your father never wanted to trouble me with these problems, it was I who proposed a solution through marriage. We could set the records straight by firming justifying our stay. So he took me in as his second-wife and Takeshi remained my bodyguard. I never regretted this decision, because I have you as a result and I have never been happier in my life."

Then my mother cupped my face to meet her gaze. She said, "Ali, let this story be a lesson to you. One, you must protect the things you value and care for the most. Whether that's love or family, it does not matter so long as you never give up for some things are worth fighting for. Two, you must learn to never give up hope. Fate has a strange way of leading you where you are destined to be." As my mother embraced me, she sighed, "I'm afraid I will not be here long in this world to guide you. So promise me that you will remain strong and true. Become a kindhearted man just like your father."

Nodding my head, I tightened my hold around her, afraid for what was surely to come. Then my mother turned to face Takeshi patiently and quietly waiting at the corner. With a wave of her hand, she beckoned him to come closer. Once he reached her bedside, I heard my mother say, "Takeshi, take care of my little Ali for me. You have served and protected me all these years, which I am grateful for. Now I must impose on you once again and ask that you watch over him in my stead. I know that you are a duty-bond man who holds his obligations and loyalty above anything else, but I want you to know that I am not making this requesting as your princess rather I am asking as a long-time friend."

That was the one and only time I have witnessed Takeshi so visibly and emotionally shaken. Kneeling down, he tried his best to hide the grief behind his voice as he made his oath to protect and care for me to my mother. Satisfied my mother closed her eyes and left our world of the living. And that is how Takeshi came to be under my service.

* * *

**AN: Sorry I had to rush certain parts since the word count was becoming ridiculously long. Also that is the last of the bodyguard stories :) This means that the Arendelle arc is almost ending and from then on it will mainly be Elsa/Ali focused. Thanks to Desi-Pari-Always and charmiaj for reviewing the last chapter. As always I would be happy to hear what you think about the story thus far so send me a review. See you next week!**


	11. Foolish Hearts

**Author's Note**: I guess I sort of lied. Originally I intended to end the Arendelle arc with this chapter. But sensing a juicy creative writing opportunity, I decided to continue with the feels from the last chapter. Anyways I hope you enjoy this installment.

**Disclaimer: Do not own Frozen and its characters, just the original characters.**

* * *

Chapter 11: Foolish Hearts

Prince Ali groaned and fought the urge to smack his head against the wall. So instead he collapsed on his bed face down and berated himself for his foolish behavior moments ago. An exasperated sigh left his lips as he thought to himself, _"Ali, what the hell were you thinking?! Argh. That was just it. You were not thinking at all." _He rolled on his back to stare at the ceiling as his mind wandered back.

When he finished the story, Ali felt a knot constrict his heart as he observed three pairs of sympathetic eyes staring back at him. Never had he exposed such vulnerability before. Ali could see pity reflecting in their eyes, something he was uncomfortable dealing with. Swallowing a lump in his throat, he sensed panic sink in as he suppressed his escalating emotions. A sudden movement caused him to flinch. Immediately he stood up and stepped back when Anna made a motion to approach him.

Surprised by Ali's sudden reaction, the three gave him concerned looks. Ali stared back helplessly, unsure how to act in such a disheartening situation marked with an eerie quiet. Anna was the first one to break the silence, "Are you feeling alright? I'm really sorry to hear about your mother. If it's any consolation, Elsa and I understand what it feels like to lose someone you love." She flashed Ali an assuring smile before casting a side-ways glance at Elsa who nodded in response. Elsa then turned her attention back to Prince Ali, worry visibly etched across her face.

But Ali tried his best to dissuade their concern with a shake of his head. He mustered up a big smile before replying, "I'm fine. That was a long time ago. It is nothing but a memory now." This seemed to convince Anna and Kristoff as their shoulders slumped down in relief. But Elsa kept a frown on her face, unconvinced by his words. Mentally Ali winced at Elsa's stern glance as he thought to himself, "_Damn, there's no fooling her. Elsa is too perceptive to fall for such a weak excuse."_

Crumbling under her intense stare, Ali looked away. Then he shakily laughed and scratched the back of his head as he said, "Anyways I believe I have taken too much of your time tonight. If we do not hurry to bed soon, then I'm afraid the sun will be up before we even have time to sleep a wink. I know how important it is for princesses to get their beauty rest." As if confirming the prince's statement, the clock struck three to remind them of the late hour.

As the day and night's excitement came crashing down, Anna yawned loudly and quickly covered her mouth out of embarrassment. But the contagious yawn already placed its course as it infected Kristoff who yawned right after her. The two gave each other amused looks before Anna playfully smirked, "Right, I really need to sleep. It is so tiresome to wear heels all day and night. Goodnight, Elsa. Goodnight, Ali. Alright then my noble knight, carry me to my bed!" Then she jumped up and landed on Kristoff's lap. Kristoff chuckled at Anna's antics as he carried her off and greeted the others goodnight.

Ali grinned as he watched Kristoff whisked away an already sleeping Anna in his arms. But then he felt a bead of sweat drop down his cheek. Sensing Elsa's steely glance at him, he decided against his better judgment to face the queen. Immediately he regretted his decision for he was soon caught up in her serious stare. He held his breath as Elsa slowly approached him with a grave expression on her face. Stopping short in front of him, Ali heard her whisper, "Let it go."

Blinking in surprise and confusion, Ali asked, "What?! I'm sorry. I do not quite understand what you mean, your Majesty." He wanted to scramble away from the scene for he felt that his carefully guarded mask was about to shatter. But Elsa's somber gaze held him in place. Then in a hushed tone she repeated, "Let it go. No good comes from burying your emotions in. I would know. I nearly caused the destruction of my kingdom as a result."

She sent him a weary smile that stopped his heart for a moment. Then Elsa continued, "You know, it's okay to let it out. It is just us two so you can drop your guard down. There's nothing wrong about leaning on someone for support. Anna taught me that." Ali was taken aback by the genuine sincerity and compassion reflecting in her eyes.

It was what happened next that now caused Ali to mentally kick himself. He could not believe he let his emotions overtake him. Ali realized that he was skirting along a dangerous line with the queen. Then he scolded himself, _"Take a step back, Ali. Remember your place and do not let yourself get too close. This is not the time and place for that. Besides, you know that you and Elsa can never be. Do not forget what happened the last time you let your passions overwhelm you."_

Suddenly a grave expression shadowed his face. Grimacing, Ali shook his head to shake off that depressing thought. He wished not to recall such a horrid memory at the moment. Glancing out his balcony window, he noticed the sun slowly peeking out of the horizon. Sighing Ali got up out of bed and proceeded to change out of his formal wear.

There was no point thinking about such things right now. So he decided to put on more comfortable clothing and to leave early for his morning jog. He bitterly laughed as he thought about how Takeshi would so surprise at his eagerness to start his daily exercises. With a soft click, Ali closed his door and headed out to greet the crisp morning air.

* * *

Elsa stared blankly at the document in front of her. The words on the page danced across her eyes yet failed to travel much further into the recess of her brain. Her mind was just too preoccupied at the moment. She slept restlessly last night as her thoughts drifted to what happened in the parlor.

Sighing Elsa realized that no other work could be done until she settled her emotions and finally came to a decision about Prince Ali and his request. Letting the fountain pen drop off her hand, Elsa slowly stood up from her desk to lounge on the small couch in her study. She picked up the coffee on the side table and gingerly sipped her drink before contemplating about last night.

Comforting was not a word that Elsa normally associate herself with, but here she was consoling the shaken prince. Her words triggered something in him and to her surprised watch as tear after tear rolled down his face. The prince blinked in bewilderment and reached up to wipe his tears away, utterly shocked at his discovery.

Ali bitterly laughed as he said, "Honestly I think this might be the only tears I've shed since her death. I did not want to worry others and cause them trouble. All those eyes filled with pity were just too much for me to handle. Besides, someone needed to remain strong. My father was a grievous mess, crying hysterically non-stop weeks after the funeral."

Then Elsa gasped as Ali suddenly enclosed her in a tight hug. In a hushed whisper, she heard Ali say, "Forgive me, Elsa, because I'm going to be as pathetic as my father. Blame it on my so-called manly pride, but I do not want you to see me in such a way. This was the only solution I came up with."

She felt Ali bend down and bury his face on her shoulder as his body racked with convulsions of sobs. A tender smile graced Elsa's face as she lifted her arms to wrap around him. Her right arm tightened her hold while her left hand soothingly rubbed his back. Elsa remained quiet and still in that position as Ali continued to grieve.

When Ali finally calmed down, he loosened their embrace and leaned his forehead against hers. Elsa cupped his face and wiped away the residue streak of tears across his cheek with her thumbs. Her breath hitched when Ali beamed at her before saying, "Thanks, Elsa. I guess I really needed that. Those tears were long overdue and although the healing process is a long one, at least I finally made the first step. I feel a sense of peace and I have you to thank for that." Elsa felt herself melt in his loving gaze and noticed how ever so slowly their lips inched closer.

But they stopped short at the sudden click of an opening door. Quickly Elsa and Ali disentangled from their embrace and immediately distanced themselves. The sound of someone clearing his throat shifted Elsa's attention to the man at the door. Kai bowed his head and said, "I'm sorry if I interrupted something, your Highness. I was not expecting you to still be up and thought the parlor to be empty. I only came by to air the room out. But I can leave if her Majesty wishes."

Shaking her head, Elsa told Kai to stay as they were both about to leave. She straightened herself up and regained her regal composure. Then Elsa sent Ali a weary glance who sheepishly grinned back at her. The prince bowed slightly and motioned for her go before him. Eventually the two made their way through the door and greeted the butler goodnight as Kai quietly closed the door behind them.

Alone in the hall, the two shifted uncomfortably in place as an awkward silence engulfed them. When Elsa turned to say something to the prince, Ali quickly interrupted her with a bow and bid her goodnight before walking briskly down the hall. Elsa blinked in confusion at his sudden retreat and continued to stare at his back until he disappeared around the corner. Despondently Elsa decided to head off to bed as well. But when she closed her eyes, Prince Ali's face kept popping up as images of the night's events hazily flashed in her dreams.

Faintly she heard the sweet sound of violins and then she detected words, someone conversing with her. At her peripherals, she observed Prince Ali's disappointed face as she rejected his offer to dance. Her vision faded and she found herself on the dance floor. She glanced up to find Ali's beaming face encouraging her as they glided along the ballroom floor. Then it turned black as the scene changed. She stood on the balcony watching the fireworks light up the fjords. To her right, Ali sweetly smiled at her as he planted a soft kiss on her hand. Again another flash and a warm sensation enveloped her. She felt herself tightening her embrace around the sobbing prince. Finally one last scene shuttered as she noticed fearful realization glimmer in Ali's eyes as he hastily bid her goodnight.

Frowning at that last image, Elsa absent-mindedly brought her coffee against her lips and sipped her drink. Seeing his panic expression in her dream again was disheartening. At first she felt confused by his reaction, but eventually she reasoned that perhaps it was because they nearly crossed a forbidden line. Unknowingly Elsa touched her lips and she wondered what would have happened if they were not interrupted.

Bewildered Elsa stopped to scold herself, _"Calm down, Elsa. You only meet the prince three days ago. How can you let your emotions wash away your sense of reason?! Comport yourself and think about the situation logically and objectively."_ First she tried to make sense of her uncharacteristic behavior in the past three days and nights. Somehow along the way the prince managed to break her out of her shell; that was the only explanation Elsa could come up with to justify their strange familiarity.

Never in her life would she have sneak out of her castle and parade around the streets in a disguise. That was something unthinkable; she was the queen after all. Also she felt surprise that she managed to stay relatively calm, at least long enough to dance with the prince, despite the intimate physical contact. With Anna it took Elsa some time to be comfortable with such closeness. But Ali somehow broke down those barriers in a day. None of these made any logical sense to her.

Elsa sighed in frustration thinking that despite how strange her emotions and behavior have been in the past three days, the prince equally proved to be such an enigma. She thought Ali whimsical when he knighted Olaf, adorable playing in the snow with the children, merry and friendly at the local tavern, incredibly charming at the ball, and heart-warming as he fondly talked about his deceased mother. That night while she observed the usually happy-go-lucky prince slowly breakdown, Elsa felt something pull on her heartstrings and without even realizing it reached out to console Ali.

No doubt she cared for Ali, but what was this strange feeling that caused her to change so dramatically. When had their relation shifted from one marked with formality to such intimacy? Astounded, Elsa thought, _"Am I falling for the prince? That cannot be. I just met the man. Plus I do not believe in love at first sight. You can only find that in those ridiculous fairy tales. And it will remain as that. Just mere fantasy." _Shaking her head so violently that she nearly spilled her coffee, Elsa vehemently rejected such a possibility.

If she had to label their relation, then Elsa consented to consider it as friendship among two nobles from two different kingdoms. She persuaded herself that this was so and attempted to squash that little voice at the back of her head that argued otherwise. Elsa slumped down and leaned back on the couch. Clearly she was not in the right state of mind if she was having this internal debate. She realized that she needed a more objective opinion about the prince from someone else. As if to answer her dilemma, a familiar rhythmic knock sounded at her door.

* * *

**AN: I would like to thank charmiaj and Desi-Pari Always because your comments in the reviews sparked the inspiration behind this chapter. The next chapter should be the official last chapter in the Arendelle arc. I was going to put it all together here but it just didn't feel right. Anyways I am always open to reviews as they are quite encouraging, inspiring, and motivating. Let me know what you think about the chapter and/or the story thus far. See you next week.  
**


	12. Council and Decisions

**Author's Note:** I know I always say I'll update next week, but I'm been on a writing frenzy lately. This chapter was just too fun to write and surprised myself by writing my longest chapter to date. Anyways I hope you enjoy reading this chapter as much as I did writing it.

**Disclaimer: Do not own Frozen and its characters, just the original ones.**

* * *

Chapter 12: Council and Decisions

Strawberry blonde hair peeking through the open crack as Anna peered into Elsa's private study. Spotting the queen on the couch, Anna barged through the door and joined Elsa on the sofa. Immediately she pulled her sister into a hug while Kristoff quietly followed in and sat on the arm chair to Anna's left. He politely greeted Elsa with a smile and a wave of his hand. Then Anna pulled away from their embrace to brightly greet her sister, but frowned when she noticed the disconcerting expression on Elsa's face.

Concern visibly etched on her face, Anna asked, "What's wrong, Elsa?" Suddenly realization donned on her as Anna exclaimed, "The council meeting is today! Is that what's bothering you? You still have not made up your mind about Prince Ali's request?!" Elsa nodded and nervously rubbed her arm. Then Elsa stood up and started to pace in front of the two. Sighing Elsa explained, "The meeting is in less than an hour. They have already been briefed about it. But I am still torn about Prince Ali. I mean, what do you make of him and his stories?"

Anna clearly observed the uncertainty on her face as Elsa glanced back at them with a questioning look. Sending her a warm smile, Anna patted the spot on the couch next to her. Elsa relented and moved back to sit next to her sister. Taking her hand in hers, Anna gave Elsa a comforting glance and stated, "If you want my opinion, I think Ali is a kind-hearted guy and that his stories are genuine. I believe his intentions are pure and clearly he is willingly to go the distance for others, especially those he cares about. No wonder his guards are so loyal to him." A small smile graced Elsa's face as she nodded in agreement.

But then Kristoff interrupted, "Wait, do you seriously believe the guy?!" Instantly he regretted his remark as Anna shot him a steely glare. Fighting the urge to cower under her stare, Kristoff bravely held his stance saying, "I mean we have to take his word for it. He is the one telling the stories. For all we know, he might be making it all up. Sorry if I am playing devil's advocate here, but come on! His stories sound too fantastical sometimes."

Shocked at his words, Anna huffed and challenged him saying, "Then is it just as fantastical to have a sister with ice powers who can create a walking talking snowman?!" The two continued to intensely glare at each other. Neither one wanted to back down from their staring contest nor to admit defeat. Choosing to ignore the two, Elsa proceeded to further ponder their words, _"I agree with Anna, but Kristoff has a valid point as well. I do believe Ali has good intentions and those moments in the parlor seem so sincere, either that or he is a really good actor."_

The sudden knock at the door rattled Elsa out of her thoughts and Kai's familiar voice traveled through, "Your Majesty, the council are waiting for you." Elsa thanked the butler and asked that he inform the council that she will join them shortly. Feeling helpless, Elsa turned to face the other two. Anna gave her a reassuring smile before saying, "You know, Elsa. This is ultimately your decision. It's your powers after all. I'm sure you will do the right thing. And no matter what you decide, know that we will always stand by you."

At the corner of her eye, Elsa noticed Kristoff nod in agreement. She smiled, grateful for their support. Then Anna stated, "Let's go. I will stand by you through the meeting for moral support." Slowly the two stood up while Kristoff ran to open the door. Once out in the hall, Kristoff bid the sisters good luck before heading out to the stables. Arm in arm, Elsa and Anna proceeded down the hall to meet with the council members.

* * *

Ali gritted his teeth, feeling the impact of the blow vibrate through his body. He ignored the pain as he barely had time to dodge another swing from Faddei's staff. Ducking down, Ali swung his leg hoping to sweep Faddei off balance. The Russian jumped back and immediately pursued the prince, lunging at Ali on the ground with his staff. Rolling back, the prince used his momentum to flip himself back on his feet and carefully avoided Faddei's onslaught.

Then Ali sensed a shadow looming over him and quickly ducked. He somehow managed to dodge Zuberi's sword in time. Surprised the two guards stared at each other as the slash of the sword chopped the wooden staff in half. Taking advantage of the moment, Ali punched Zuberi in the stomach, causing the black man to reel back and drop his sword. The prince swiped the sword in mid-air and with a grin on his face pointed the blade at Faddei's throat. Immediately the Russian dropped what remained of his staff on the ground.

But the sly grin on the Russian's face confounded the prince. Shaking his head at Ali, Faddei proclaimed, "Let this be a lesson, my prince. Never assume that a fight, whether it's a practice spar or real combat, is ever over." Before Ali had time to react, Faddei sent the staff flying with a flick of his foot. The staff smacked his stomach, causing the prince to stagger back from the impact. Suddenly two arms reached out from behind effectively trapping his arms in place. Zuberi tightened his grip around Ali as the prince thrashed about.

Taking a deep breath, Ali calmed himself before bending down and raising his arms to slip out of Zuberi's hold. Then with his free arm, the prince grabbed the back of the Zuberi's knee before lifting his leg and tackling him down. Zuberi felt the wind knocked out of him as he collapsed on the ground. Quickly Ali slipped the sword under his chin and asked, "Do you yield?" The guard barely muttered a yes in response and when the prince released him, he continued to lay prostrated on the ground trying to catch his breath.

Prince Ali turned his attention to Faddei and witnessed just in time his guard hurl some throwing knives. With his sword Ali deflected Faddei's attacks and slowly closed the distance. Eventually Faddei ran out of knives and found himself trapped. Without any other option, Faddei bent down on the ground in an act of surrender. But the guard grabbed a fist full of snow and chucked it at the prince, momentarily blinding him. Faddei then knocked the sword out of Ali's hand.

By then the prince regained his vision and engaged the guard into a hand-to-hand combat. The two continued to exchange strikes and blocks, stuck in a seemingly endless stalemate. Unaccustomed to fighting bare-handed, the guard felt himself wearing down. When Faddei threw a half-hearted punch, Ali took advantage of the opportunity to grab the guard's arm and pulled it behind Faddei's back. Grimacing in pain as the prince twisted his arm, Faddei reluctantly conceded defeat.

When Ali released his hold, Faddei dropped to the ground in exhaustion and attempted to catch his breath. But the prince remained utterly restless and asked for another round. His two guards stared back at him in disbelief, wondering why the prince was so energetic. Zuberi voiced out a complaint, "My prince, we have been sparing for hours. May we have a break? I'm not sure I can muster enough energy to stand up, much less fight you."

Finally noticing their weary expressions, Ali apologized, "Sorry, you guys can take a break. I just have all this pent up nervous energy that needs releasing." Then Takeshi responded, "In that case let me be your next opponent, my lord." The samurai slowly stood up and approached Ali from the sidelines. Surprised at his offer, Ali asked, "Are you sure, Takeshi?" Chuckling Takeshi replied, "Please, I'm not that old. You will find that I'm still full of surprises, my prince. But let's use wooden swords so that I do not have to be as reserved."

Taken aback by Takeshi's mocking grin, Ali smiled in amusement as he accepted the bamboo sword from the samurai. After distancing themselves, the two respectfully bowed before beginning. For quite some time Takeshi and Ali cautiously circled around each other, gauging their opponent. On the sidelines, Zuberi and Faddei watched anxiously waiting for someone to make the first move.

Feeling impatient, Ali decided to strike first as he charged ahead with his sword held up above his head. Before the prince had time to blink, Takeshi closed the distance in two swift steps and struck Ali hard across the stomach. Ali winced and doubled over in pain while the other two guards cringed as the sound of Takeshi's strike echoed in their ears. Sucking up as much air as possible, Ali managed to regain his composure before turning around to find Takeshi patiently waiting for him.

Frustrated at Takeshi's nonchalant demeanor, Ali aggressively slashed left and right. But the samurai calmly dodged and parried every blow. Seeing an opening, Takeshi masterfully aimed for both shoulders in a quick exchange. Ali helplessly dropped his sword as the pain propagated through his shoulders to his now shaking hands. The prince gritted his teeth and willed his hand still, long enough to pick up the sword. He closed his eyes and concentrated his energy for one last strong attack.

His eyes flickered open as he slowly exhaled. Focusing on the opponent in front of him, Ali proceeded to charge at Takeshi while dragging his sword behind him. As the prince made an upward striking motion, Takeshi bellowed out a hellish yell that caused Ali to hesitate for a split second. Taking advantage of this, the samurai lunged forward and pounded his bamboo sword at Ali's forehead. Immediately the impact of the blow knocked the prince on his back. Ali stared up the sky in shock as his vision blurred.

Then Takeshi's face came into his view as the samurai gravely looked down at him. Takeshi offered the prince a hand and Ali gladly accepted it as the samurai pulled him up to his feet. Sighing Takeshi inquired, "My lord, do you want to know why I was able to read your every move?" Curious the prince raised an inquisitive brow and asked Takeshi to elaborate. The samurai simply pointed his finger at Ali's chest.

Noticing the confusion on the prince's face, Takeshi explained, "Your heart is in conflict with your mind." Confounded Ali opened his mouth but quickly closed it unsure how to respond. The samurai merely shook his head as he lectured on, "Please, my lord, you are such an open book. We know about your feelings for the queen. While Zuberi feels elated and Faddei quite indifferent about this, I, on the other hand, am apprehensive. Under normal circumstances, I would be happy to see you fall in love, but unfortunately you have met the queen under an unfavorable star."

Crestfallen Ali hopelessly asked, "What can I do, Takeshi? My heart will not listen to reason." Placing his hand on the prince's shoulder, Takeshi solemnly said, "I'm sorry, my lord, that is not an easy question to answer. But there is one thing I strongly caution against. Do not let your fears overwhelm you. If you let it control you, then you may very well lose what you hold dear. Any hesitation on your part may just cost you everything." The samurai gave the prince an encouraging smile, "No matter what you decide, stand behind your convictions and be prepared to face the consequences."

Then Ali felt a pat on his back as Zuberi assured him, "Do not worry, my prince. You will not be alone." At the corner of his eye, he witnessed Faddei nod in agreement. Smiling Ali expressed how fortunate he was to have them in his life. Their moment was interrupted as Kai informed the prince that the queen and the council have requested his presence. Ali nodded in response and proceeded to follow the butler into the castle.

* * *

Elsa fought the urge to rub her temples in frustration as the council members continued to argue amongst themselves. She felt her regal mask of composure slowly chipping away as she tried her best to follow their argument. It took every bit of her self-control to not send ice down the table and to freeze the council members in their spot, effectively shutting them up for good. Feeling the onset of a major headache coming, Elsa opened her mouth to silence them but then immediately shut it when a commanding voice boomed above the chatter.

"Enough! Can't you see that your insistent bickering is making your queen upset?!" Anna huffed as the council members stared back in disbelief. Immediately they apologized to the queen for their childish behavior. Elsa raised a hand causing the council members to shut their mouths. After sending her little sister an appreciative glance, Elsa calmly addressed the council, "I hear and understand your concerns. And after taking your advice into consideration, I have finally come to a decision."

Anna and the council held their breaths, waiting for the queen to continue. Straightening up in her seat, Elsa explained, "The way I see it. There are more pros than cons in this decision. Therefore, I have concluded that it would be best if I consent to his request and accompany the prince to Persia." Some of the members began to protest and once again Elsa effectively silences them with a raise of her hand.

Then Elsa proceeded, "This is my final decision and I expect my council to support me in this. It is my own powers after all and I would like to see it used for good rather than hiding it away. As you know the consequences of its concealment nearly brought the kingdom to its knees. Besides I believe that Arendelle will be all the better after this. We can extend trades further beyond with Persia as an ally and marketing post to stimulate the economy. Not to mention this act will solidify current alliances and build trust for future ones."

Elsa paused as she sent a warming smile in Anna's direction. "I leave Arendelle in good hands. Princess Anna will be Acting Queen in my absence. This will be a great learning experience for my sister." Then Elsa turned to face the council, "I'm sure that Princess Anna will appreciate your assistance in ruling the kingdom. Thus I expect you all to support her while holding Arendelle's best interest. I want you to treat her with the proper respect due as if it were me sitting on the throne. I trust Anna to make any necessary judgments in my stead."

When the queen finished, a knock at the door alerted them as Kai announced Prince Ali's arrival. The prince marched in and stopped in front of Elsa on the other side of the table. Ali briefly bowed to greet the queen, princess, and the council before standing in attention with his hands clasped behind his back. He then quickly apologized for his disheveled appearance as the summoning caught him unexpectedly.

Smiling Elsa dismissed his apology before addressing the prince, "After some deliberation with my council, I have decided to comply with your request and travel with you to Persia." Beaming Ali profusely thanked the queen and the council for their compassion and willingness to come to their aid. Then Elsa dismissed the council thus leaving only Anna, Elsa, and Ali in the council chamber.

As the two sisters approached the prince, Anna exclaimed, "This is so exciting! I'm so jealous of you, Elsa. You get to go on an adventure with this guy here." Then Anna looped one arm around Ali's arm while her other arm wrapped around Elsa's arm, bringing the prince and queen closer together. Giggling Elsa replied, "I'm not going on vacation, Anna. This is an important business trip."

Rolling her eyes as she released her hold on them, Anna proclaimed, "But that does not mean you can't have fun along the way?! It's just like those romantic adventure novels where a man and woman are traveling together to save the world. They encounter strange new lands and fight off road bandits." Then Anna's tone changed as she dreamily stated, "And as always somewhere along the way, the man and woman slowly fall in love."

Ali and Elsa stared at Anna in disbelief, but when their eyes met they hurriedly turned away blushing. This little interaction was not missed by Anna as she glanced back and forth between Elsa and Ali. Curiosity piqued Anna thought, _"Maybe they don't need an adventure to fall in love after all. Clearly there's something going on here. It will be interesting to see where this goes."_ Pouting Anna then realized, _"Darn, I won't be there to witness it. I'll just have to drill them when they get back."_

Clearing his throat to break the awkward silence, Ali then teased Anna, "I think you have been reading too many romantic novels, Anna." Then Elsa joined in jest as they joked around with Anna. Huffing Anna crossed her arms and said, "Whatever. I'm still jealous. I so wish I can join you on your little adventure. Instead I'll be stuck in Arendelle doing boring administrative things and dealing with a bunch of paper work. You would think that running a kingdom would be more glamorous and fun. They never mentioned how stressful the job is. Not to mention I have such large shoes to fill."

Shaking her head, Elsa gave Anna a reassuring smile and said, "You'll be fine, Anna. You should have seen the way you took command of the room earlier. I'm quite impress, little sister. Maybe you should take on more responsibilities in the future. I have rooms filled with papers that need reading and signing." Elsa suppressed a laugh at Anna's bewildered face. Staring at her sister in shock, Anna asked, "You wouldn't dare?!" To which Elsa merely smirked, trying her best to maintain a straight face. Shoulders slumped in defeat, Anna submitted to her fate of grueling paperwork.

Chuckling Ali patted Anna on the back and teasingly suggested, "You can still have fun here. Just imagine having the whole castle to yourself and Kristoff, plus no elder sister to nag you and watch you like a hawk. You can be as wild as you want!" Anna turned beet red at his comment while Elsa furiously glared in shock at Ali for insinuating such a suggestion. The prince sheepishly grinned and nervously laughed, trying not to cower under Elsa's menacing glare.

Finally regaining some form of composure, Anna replied, "I guess, you're right. I better go find Kristoff and let him know what's going on." Stunned and completely speechless, Elsa watched Anna practically skipping out of the room. Only when her little sister reached the door, Elsa found her voice to shout, "I expect you to behave in my absence, Anna!" But Anna had already exit the council chamber. Frustrated Elsa turned her attention to the source of her aggravation.

* * *

Beaming like a fool, Ali continued to look at the door as Anna left the chamber, not sure what to do at his current predicament. The prince gulped as the queen said his name in a low growl. He felt himself slowly backing away as he reasoned, hoping to calm the queen down, "Now, now, Elsa. Anna is a grown woman. I'm sure she'll make responsible decisions." Ali then relaxed a little when Elsa blinked as her ferocious expression changed to one deep in thought.

Sighing Elsa despondently responded, "You're right. I guess I lost my chance to be the protective big sister." Looking down, Elsa felt the sorrow of the past resurface. Frowning, Ali lifted her chin to face him. Giving Elsa a comforting smile, Ali said, "Don't say that. You are a wonderful big sister that Anna is lucky to have. It's the passage of time that we have come to accept for change is imitable. But at least you can be there for her from now on. Trust me. She still needs her big sister to look out for her." As Elsa cheered up, she sent Ali an appreciative and warm glance.

Then Elsa noticed a mark on Ali's forehead. Impulsively she reached up to touch it. Suddenly the prince flinched and grimaced in pain. Elsa quickly apologized and Ali dissuaded her concern with a wave of his hand. Reaching up, Ali felt a bump on his head and surmised the cause. The prince explained, "This must have been from when Takeshi hit me on the head during our sparing session. I can't believe it left a mark! Does it look bad?"

Scrunching her brow, Elsa swooped in to scrutinize the prince's forehead. She felt the prince cringed and so she scolded him, "Hold still. Let me take a closer look." Carefully she moved his bangs out the way and inspected the bruise. Gently she placed a hand over it and cooled the spot. Ali sighed in relief as the cooling sensation soothed the pain away. The prince then thanked Elsa and sent the queen a tender and loving grin. They continue to stare into each other's eyes utterly mesmerize and unaware of their intimate closeness.

After a moment of silence, Ali blinked and immediately stepped back to distance himself from the queen. Elsa frowned as the prince broke eye contact and started to fidget in place. Then Ali nervously combed his hair back and hesitantly began, "Elsa, about last night… I would like to apologize for my poor behavior. It was inappropriate for me to act in such a manner. I hope you can forgive me and that…" The prince paused to carefully contemplate his words before continuing, "… I hope that it did not jeopardize our friendship in any way."

Surprised Elsa tried to hide her disappointment and assured the prince that all was well between them. The prince beamed and animatedly discussed their upcoming trip. But unknown to Ali, his words fell on deaf ears as Elsa's mind wandered off, _"I know that I resolved to consider our relationship to be nothing more than friends just a few hours ago… But it still hurts to hear him say it out loud. I don't know why I was getting my hopes up when I had no reason to. Ali and I are just friends, nothing more." _ Then Elsa suddenly interrupted Ali and stated that they should head out to the library and look at some maps to plan their journey.

Crestfallen Ali stared at Elsa's retreating back as she proceeded to exit the council chamber. The coldness in her tone upset him. He wished that he could stop her and explain it all. That he wanted to be more than friends and to reveal everything else he had kept from her. The prince thought, _"It's not right that I'm keeping these secrets from you. You of all people would probably understand, but sadly I'm too afraid to tell you the truth. It's best that you are kept in the dark, Elsa." _After reaffirming his resolve, the prince reluctantly resigned to walk behind the queen in silence to the library.

* * *

**AN: And they are off (sort of, but they'll be departing in the next chapter). This pretty much wraps up the Arendelle arc. Let me know what you think and send me a review. Personally I felt frustrated writing the ending, even though I planned it that way. But what can I say. I guess Elsa and Ali are a bit of a fixer upper. Also I'll be taking a week off either next week or the following week. I need some time to plan out the journey part of the story. My ideas/notes are fragmented at the moment. Again leave me a review and let me know what you think about the chapter and/or story thus far. Until next time :)  
**


	13. Up the North Mountain

**Author's Note:** I'll make this quick. Sorry I have not posted in a long time. Thanks to those who patiently waited. I hope you enjoy this installment.

**Disclaimer: Do not own Frozen and its characters, just the original ones.**

* * *

Chapter 13: Up the North Mountain

Prince Ali tightened the strap on the saddle. Then he circled around his horse to check if all his belongings accounted for and secured in their bags. Next Ali inspected if his dagger along with other personal items that he found handy, such as a pouch of gunpowder and a coin purse, were fastened safely around his belt. He quickly made a note of things on his little notebook before tucking it away inside his vest pocket. Satisfied, the prince grabbed his beige cloak and draped it over his outfit of black trousers, leather boots, long-sleeved white shirt, and leather vest. Along with his three bodyguards who donned on matching cloaks, Ali waited for the rest of the party to arrive.

The first to arrive was Captain Bjorg as his horse halted to a stop in front of them. Captain Bjorg was an intimidating bald man with a menacing scar down his left cheek and a brawny red beard. With a nod of his head, he gruffly greeted the prince and eyed his bodyguards with suspicion. Carefully masking his displeasure at the captain's blatant disrespect, the prince simply bowed in greeting. Despite this, the prince could not fault the captain for after all Bjorg was tasked to protect the queen throughout this journey. He had every right to be wary of any strangers, including the prince and his men. Prince Ali actually found the captain's fierce sense of loyalty and duty admirable, though he felt that the captain's animosity towards him was quite unnecessary.

Thinking back, Ali wished that their first meeting ended more amicably. He was first introduced to the captain when Elsa summoned him to the castle library where they were looking at some maps. The queen tasked the captain as head of her traveling guards and thus wanted his input as they laid out their path to Persia. At first the captain and the prince were courteous to one another but when Elsa left to attend to other matters, Captain Bjorg immediately changed his demeanor. Prince Ali felt taken aback when the captain suddenly and roughly grabbed his shoulder to face him.

The captain then sternly warned the prince, "I don't know what game you are playing at, but I'll be watching you like a hawk throughout this entire trip. I owe the Arendelle royal family a lifetime debt of gratitude for the Queen's father, King Henrik, saved my life multiple times out in the battlefield. Thus I am willing to lay my life down to protect Queen Elsa and the rest of the royal family. If you hurt the queen in any way, then you can count on me to find you and end your life right there on the spot with no questions asked. I have you know that I do not like you one bit, Prince Ali."

Enraged at the captain's baseless accusations, Ali retorted with venom dripping from his voice, "If that ever happens, Captain Bjorg, then I'll personally seek you out myself and hand you my most prized blade given to me by my father. Then I'll openly expose my neck so you can slit my throat with that very same knife. Believe me when I say that the last thing I want to do is hurt the queen. No sooner would I forfeit my life before I let that happen." The two continued to angrily glare at each other before the prince had enough and promptly left the room. Their encounter left a bad taste in the prince's mouth and he scolded himself for acting so brashly. Sighing Ali realized that he must act with caution throughout the entire trip and hopefully make amends with the captain somewhere along the way.

Soon after Anna, Kristoff, and Elsa arrived. Two Arendelle guards and three horses accompanied them as they approached the prince and company. As the two sisters hugged each other farewell, Ali approached Kristoff and clasped arms with the mountain man. Then Kristoff stated, "Please take care of her. Elsa is as much a family to me as the trolls are." Smiling Ali nodded in response and promised the mountain man to protect the queen.

As the two men parted, Anna suddenly pulled the prince into a hug before stepping back to sternly say, "Do not forget that promise you made me. Make sure you return Elsa home back safely. I just got her back and I don't want to lose her again." Ali could tell that Anna was trying to keep it together as her voice wavered. So the prince sent her a warm smile and reassured her that no harm would come to Elsa and that they will be back before long.

Once again the two sisters embraced with Elsa soothing a now tearful Anna. Smiling the prince found their strong familial bond incredible, making him slightly envious as he wished his own were just as strong. Finally when the sisters completed their farewells, Ali offered a helping hand and assisted Elsa onto her horse. Just when the prince was about to hoist himself up on his own horse, a sudden cry caused him to pause as Sven sprinted towards them with a hysterical Olaf riding on the reindeer's back.

"Wait up, you guys!" Olaf shouted after them. But then Sven slipped on some ice and the reindeer frantically struggled to gain footing while the snowman precariously tethered to maintain his balance. Kristoff jumped to catch the reindeer, but the halting stop sent the snowman flying and screaming, "Watch out for my butt!" The prince barely had time to react as he caught Olaf's head but unfortunately failed to notice Olaf's body as it crashed into his stomach. Ali stumbled back and found himself buried in snow. Shaking the snow off, Ali forgave the apologetic Olaf and laughed as he put the snowman back together.

Once the prince stood up and dusted off as much of the snow as possible, Olaf asked, "Can I join you guys?" Shrugging Ali stated that it was up to the queen and so Olaf eagerly turned his attention to Elsa. Sighing Elsa told the snowman, "Sorry, Olaf. I do not think it is a good idea for you to come with us, especially where we are going." Crestfallen the snowman despondently said, "But, Elsa, I'm one of your knights. I swore to protect you." Feeling sympathetic, Ali pleaded on the snowman's behalf and convinced Elsa to let the snowman to accompany them, at least until the Northern pass before they need to be southern bound.

Reluctantly Elsa consented and Ali placed the excitable snowman behind Elsa on her horse. Then Ali mounted his horse before the group left and waved to Anna, Kristoff, and Sven goodbye. When they exited the kingdom, Felix swooped down to perch on Ali's shoulder. The prince introduced the snowman to Felix and Olaf proceeded to chat away as the falcon screeched in response. Elsa and Ali gave each other amused glances as they watched this interaction occur. Ali merely shrugged while Elsa shook her head in disbelief as the queen thought, _"I hope this is the strangest thing I encounter on this journey."_

* * *

As the group made their way deeper into the forest and up the mountain, Ali kept stealing glances in Elsa's direction. The prince had always found the queen to be stunningly beautiful, but seeing her outside a dress accentuated her elegance and beauty at a whole different level. Elsa wore a simple rider's outfit of leather boots, black pants, white blouse, sky blue jacket, and dark purple cloak. The queen braided her hair in her usual French braid and allowed it to drape over her right shoulder.

At the corner of her eye, Elsa noticed the prince's not-so-subtle looks and she fought the blush creeping up her face. She tried to maintain her composure and faced straight ahead. But when she felt her mask cracking as the prince's glances lingered far too long, Elsa loudly cleared her throat and inquired, "Prince Ali, is there something I can help you with? You are staring as if you would like to tell me something." Ali blinked in surprise and felt embarrassed to be caught gawking at the queen.

The prince sheepishly grinned before replying, "Forgive me for staring, Queen Elsa. I cannot help but notice how elegant you look out of a dress. That masculine outfit suits you, and I dare say you wear it better than any other man." Elsa flushed at his compliment and hoped the prince missed the evident blush on her cheeks. She then playfully chided, "Did you really expect me to wear a dress for the entire journey?! For a long trip such as this, of course, I would prefer a more comfortable outfit over the impracticality of a dress when riding horseback."

Nervously Ali scratched the back of his head and said, "My apologies, your Majesty. I simply wanted to applaud you for breaking out of the social gender conventions. I'm afraid I am not quite as bold and brave to do the same if our roles were reversed." Then Elsa mischievously smirked, "Well, I certainly would pay good money to see you in a dress, Prince Ali. You would make a pretty princess." Ali's jaw dropped utterly bewildered at Elsa's comment. And then his expression changed to one of horror as a disturbing image of himself in a gown and heels popped into his head.

Observing Ali's hilarious befuddled expressions, Elsa erupted in laughter that she nearly fell off her horse. But that only lasted a moment before the queen regained her composure and merely covered her mouth as she continued to giggle at the prince. Her angelic laugh snapped Ali out of his daze and the prince chuckled thinking, _"Well I walked into that one. If this is pay back from before, then two can play at that game."_ And so Ali bantered, "Why, your Highness, no such payment is necessary. If you so wish, I would gladly oblige to wear a dress for your amusement." This time Elsa felt baffled not sure if the prince's remark was serious or sarcastic.

Olaf glanced back and forth between Elsa and Ali as he eavesdropped in their conversation. Finding himself bored after Felix flew off to hunt and wanting to join in, Olaf interrupted, "Ali, can I watch it too or would I have to pay?" Smirking Ali responded, "No, Sir Olaf. You can be part of fun. Maybe we can make a fashion show out of this if we recruit Anna, Kristoff, and Sven. Of course, you will have the honors as the final and main model."

Beaming the snowman exclaimed, "Oh how exciting! Me as a model, wearing a lovely gown…" Then Olaf paused as confusion set in, "…wait a minute?! That doesn't make sense. Unless…" Bewildered at his sudden and strange epiphany, Olaf turned to Elsa and asked, "Am I a boy or a girl?" Elsa's jaw dropped at his question and uncomfortably shifted in her position as she racked her brain to how sensibly answer, or even better tactically avoid his inquiry.

Thankfully the prince saved Elsa as he burst out laughing and clutching his stomach. After taking a few deep breaths, Ali calmed down and addressed the snowman, "Please do not take it so seriously, Sir Olaf. I am merely made that suggestion out of jest. Although it would be interesting to see Kristoff in a dress if we find one that fits his mountain frame, I doubt he will go along so willing with such a charade." Giggling Olaf stated how silly Ali was. And so luckily for Elsa, the snowman forgot about his earlier question and proceeded to converse with the prince about this imaginary fashion show.

Shaking her head and smacking her hand against her forehead as the two animatedly plotted ways to force both Kristoff and Sven into a gown, Elsa warily interrupted, "Is this the type of conversation I will be subjected to for the rest of the journey? I think I would rather go insane." The prince chuckled and then teasingly pouted, "Oh, what is a queen to do when she is condemned to travel with a ruggedly handsome and charming prince? Such are the woes of Queen Elsa of Arendelle!" Elsa rolled her eyes at the prince's strange quirkiness as the corners of her mouth inched up into a small smile.

* * *

When the sun started to set, the traveling group decided to stop and make camp for the night. Quickly Ali dismounted his horse to help Elsa, but Captain Bjorg beat him to it. As the captain assisted the queen off her horse, the red-bearded soldier sent a dirty glare in the prince's direction. Ali inwardly sighed and ignored the captain to shift his attentions towards his personal guards. The prince instructed Takeshi to set up camp and guard their belongings. Then he tasked Faddei to gather firewood and forage for edibles along the way as well. Finally Ali asked Zuberi to accompany him in a wild game hunt.

As Ali strung his bow and gathered his arrows, Elsa approached the prince and asked, "What should my men and I do, Prince Ali?" The prince simply shrugged and calmly responded, "They are your men to command, not mine, Your Majesty." Nodding in response, Elsa then instructed her men to assist the prince and his guards. And so a guard followed Faddei into the woods while Captain Bjorg and Elsa remained stationed in camp with Takeshi, and the other Arendelle guard accompanied Prince Ali and Zuberi in their hunt.

Meanwhile Olaf stood still amidst the bustle of the camp. Elsa finally noticed the unmoving snowman and asked, "Is something the matter, Olaf?" Immediately the snowman snapped into attention and briefly saluted before replying, "Awaiting orders, Sir! I mean, Ma'am… Err I mean, Your Majesty." Smiling Elsa said, "You are free to do as you want, Olaf." The snowman pondered for a moment before chasing after Ali and his group. Olaf shouted, "Wait, I want to go hunting!" And so Ali, Zuberi, and Olaf along with the Arendelle guard trekked through the snow for some game.

Ali appreciated the extra company and found Daniel, the Arendelle guard, very helpful. Not only was he pleasant to talk to, the Arendelle guard proved to be a skilled hunter. Daniel managed to spot faint hare tracks on the snow and traced it back to an empty nest. Then Daniel with Zuberi's assistance constructed traps in case the hare ventured back to its nest. As the two guards busied themselves setting up and camouflaging the hare traps, Ali heard a rustle and decided to investigate. At the corner of his eye, the prince noticed a small movement and cautiously headed in that direction with his arrow readily resting on the bow.

Eventually the prince reached the edge of the woods and gasped as he observed the majestic view before him. He found himself near a ridge overlooking a gigantic mountain blanketed in pristine white glimmering snow. Ali continued to enjoy the gorgeous scene before immediately ducking down when he noticed a flicker of movement. Then the prince spotted a white hare standing over the ridge. So he carefully positioned himself behind a large boulder and out of hare's sight. Slowly with bow drawn Ali pulled the arrow back and aimed at the snow hare.

There was some movement behind him causing the prince to tense, but Ali instantly relaxed when he recognized the voice as Olaf. The snowman approached the prince and asked what he was doing. With his eyes still fixed on the hare, Ali remained in his position with bow drawn as he replied, "Olaf, I need you to be very, very quiet. I'm hunting a snow hare right now." Realization donned on the snowman as he too spotted the hare on the ridge and immediately covered his mouth, anxiously watching the prince.

After regaining his concentration, Ali released his arrow which found its mark as it pierced through the hare. The prince and the snowman jumped up in celebration. But their excitement was short-lived as a thunderous roar boomed and the ground violently vibrated. At his peripherals, Ali noticed some movement and turned his head to see the guards approaching them. Daniel and Zuberi sprinted towards them, waving their arms frantically and shouting something too incoherent for the prince to hear. As the two guards neared them, Ali finally was able to make out what they were saying. But before Ali's brain registered their words, a fierce-some monster appeared behind them.

The snow monster eerie blue eyes glowed and ice spikes erupted out of his back and fingers when he spotted the group. As the snow monster chased after them, the prince required not another shout of warning before he bolted away with the guards and Olaf. Sprinting alongside the prince, Olaf tried to talk to Ali who replied, "Now is not a good time, Olaf. I'm too busy running away from this angry snow golem." But Olaf insisted, "I know but that's my brother, Marshmallow. I'm sure he is just cranky and needs a nap."

Immediately the prince skidded into a stop and faced Olaf with a confused inquisitive look, "Are you trying to tell me Elsa made him?!" The snowman fiercely nodded in head. Then Zuberi approached the prince to ask why they stopped, but Ali simply raised his hand and continued to question the snowman, "Can you stop your brother and tell him that we are friends?" And so Olaf ran up to Marshmallow telling him to stop chasing them. The snow monster paused for a second, but then bellowed out a roar and suddenly swiped his arm at the prince.

Shocked Ali remained unmoved from paralyzing fear. And then he faintly heard someone shout, "Look out, Prince Ali." Ali felt someone grab him and witnessed Daniel shove him out of the way causing him to stumble into the snow. Quickly the prince stood up and watched in horror as the blow knocked Daniel off the ridge into the deep canyon below. There was not a moment to despair as Marshmallow shifted his attention towards the prince. Trapped between the edge of the cliff and the terrifying snow golem, Ali felt dread sinking at the pit of his stomach when the snow monster stalked after him.

Suddenly a war cry erupted and the snow monster viciously swatted at his assailant. Felix swooped in, screeching and peaking at Marshmallow's head. Finally snapping out of his trance, Ali ordered Felix to fly away and find help. Next he faced Olaf and asked him to do the same, telling the snowman that if his brother will not listen to him then maybe his mother can reason with him. Olaf then hurried off back to camp with Felix soaring up above and heading towards the same direction.

Then an idea popped in the prince's head and commanded Zuberi to distract the snow monster as long as possible. So Zuberi fired a hailstorm of arrows at Marshmallow while maintaining a safe distance. When the guard ran out of arrows, he bravely charged ahead with his sword drawn. Ducking and weaving, Zuberi carefully dodged the snow golem's angry arm swings. At the same time, he attempted to slash at snow monster. A chanced opening allowed Zuberi to slice off an arm, but his triumph was short-lived as Marshmallow swatted the guard away with his other arm.

Meanwhile Ali hurriedly dug a small trench around the cliff and then placed copious amount of gunpowder in it. Just as the prince finished setting up his explosive trap, Ali glanced up to witness Zuberi flying in the air. The prince helplessly screamed, "ZUBERI!" as he watched his guard crash hard and fall limp like a rag doll against a large pine tree. He felt his heart quicken and surging rage enveloping his body as the snow golem approached him. Ali stood his ground and patiently waited for Marshmallow to pass the snow trench of gunpowder.

Steeling his focus, the prince knew he only had one chance to slip past the snow monster and ignite the explosives. Otherwise he would surely meet the same fate as Daniel and plummet down below the canyon with Marshmallow. When the snow golem passed the trench line the prince quickly weaved left and right, trying to confuse his enemy. As Marshmallow raised his arm to strike, Ali rolled between the snow monster's legs barely escaping. Luckily this maneuver landed the prince beyond the line of gunpowder and so he quickly ignited the trap.

Instantly the explosion catapulted Ali across hundreds of feet. As the prince soared through the air, a shard of ice nicked his forehead and he instinctively covered his face with his arm to protect his head from the incoming debris. Suddenly Ali landed violently on his back with a thud and he gasped when his burning lungs cried out for air. For a moment, he allowed himself some time to catch his breath and laid still on the ground. Afterwards the prince winced in pain as he sat up and noticed the snow golem gone along with a chunk of the cliff. Trying his best to ignore the intensely and deafly ringing of his head, Ali then started to crawl towards the fallen Zuberi. But when the prince finally reached his guard, a gruesome sight greeted him.

* * *

**AN: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Again thanks for patiently waiting. Unfortunately the next one might also be late as I have final exams to study for and essays due next week. For those of you who are in a quarter system, you should understand how miserable it is. It's pretty common for professors to give out midterms the week before Finals, which was what happened to me. I had no personal time and scraped for whatever time I could get to write. Anyways enough of my whining and let me know what you think about this chapter and/or the story thus far by sending me a review. Until next time (sorry that I'm leaving you with such a cliff hanger).**


End file.
